CONTENTS
Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One. Introduction to the Transcendent Function Development of the Ego in Western Consciousness Emergence of Depth Psychology and Emphasis on the Unconscious Primer on the Transcendent Function Scope and Organization of the Work Chapter Two. Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay 1916: Historical Context for the Transcendent Function The 1916 and 1958 Published Forms of the Essay Exploration of Details of “The Transcendent Function” Paper The Prefatory Note Deﬁnitional Sections Compensatory Relationship of the Unconscious to Consciousness Omnipresence and Compensation of the Unconscious The Constructive Method: Importance of Purpose and Meaning The Role of the Analyst: Mediating the Transcendent Function v
xi xiii 1 1 2 3 6 9 9 11 12 12 13 14 17 18 19
.

Tracing the Transcendent Function through Jung’s Works Thematic Analysis of References to the Transcendent Function The Opposites: The Source and Development of Jung’s Thinking The Dynamic Opposition of Consciousness and the Unconscious The Role of Fantasy and Symbol Operation of the Transcendent Function Jung’s Ambiguity about the Nature of the Transcendent Function Individuation: Constructive View.VI
Contents 21 22 24 25 26 29 30
Artiﬁcially Inducing Unconscious Contents Producing Unconscious Material: Active Imagination Utilizing Unconscious Material: Creative Formulation and Understanding Relation of Ego to Unconscious: Bringing Together the Opposites Final Result: Dialogue Creating Emergence of the Third Closing Passages: Liberation and the Courage to be Oneself Synthesis: The Transcendent Function as Reﬂected in the Essay Chapter Three. The Transcendent Function as the Core of Jung’s Work The Transcendent Function As Jung’s Root Metaphor Implications of the Expansive Transcendent Function Beyond Jung
31 32 32 37 42 47 54 59 63 66 70 72 73 74
77 78 79
. Meaning and Transformation The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious Anima and Animus: Mediators between Consciousness and the Unconscious The Self as Progeny of the Transcendent Function Jung’s Inconsistencies Surrounding Dreams and the Divine The Shadow: Relationship to the Transcendent Function Integrating the References to the Transcendent Function Chapter Four.

Klein. Client-Centered. and Cognitive Therapies The Third as a Universal Psychological Construct Chapter Six. Fordham. The Transcendent Function and the Theories of Others Winnicott: Transitional Objects as Mediating Elements The Analytic Field: The Third as Mediating Agent Freud and Ego Psychology: The Ego as a Mediating Structure Other Depth Analogies: Kohut. Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life The Metaphorical View of the Transcendent Function Tilling the Transcendent Function with the Alchemical Metaphor The Neither/Nor and the Metaphorical Third The Germination of the Alchemical Fourth Plowing the Transcendent Function Field in Relationships Surveying the Transcendent Function in Social and Cultural Issues
80 82
85 86 89 91 93 96 97 99 99 101 104 108 109 112 115 117
121 122 123 124 126 128 133
. and Hillman Non-Depth Analogies: Gestalt. The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function The Binary Opposition Inherent in Consciousness Bridging the Chasm Between Subject and Object Liminality and Initiation: An Archetypal Between-ness Hermes: The Archetypal Messenger Between Realms The Third: Foundations of the Number Three Rhythm of Consciousness between Differentiation and Unity The Transcendent: Connection with a Greater Consciousness The Neither/Nor and Autochthonous Urges of the Psyche Chapter Seven.Contents
VII
The Core of the Transcendent Function The Transcendence of the Transcendent Function Chapter Five.

He looks at the transcendent function as psyche’s way to bring the realms of consciousness and the unconscious into a dialogue with each other toward psychological growth and individuation. additional valuable themes emerge. The Transcendent Function. I have been engaged with Jung’s transcendent function for many years and love reading about it. Miller’s text is at once inspired. Jeffrey Miller has produced a truly significant and creative work. Chapter 2 provides the reader with a fascinating tour through Jung’s essay. Miller also introduces an idea that he explores in greater depth later in the work. Dr. the transcendent function allows us to discover new perspectives in every situation that were previously hidden or unseen. The reader is taken on a memorable journey. and well crafted. By combining his skills as a lawyer with depth psychological scholarship. In chapter 1. that is. On the one hand. scholarly. that is. From his comparison. The author’s detailed comparison of the 1916 and 1958 versions of Jung’s essay strikes me as a stroke of genius. Dr. Miller examines each reference to the transcendent function in Jung’s written works—including his letters and lectures—in a thematic ix
. Miller’s method of textual comparison is simple and self-evident. Miller analyzes its central ideas and themes. and he also compares and contrasts the 1916 and 1958 versions of the essay to show how some of Jung’s ideas shifted and developed over time. On the other hand. Dr. The author’s interest and excitement in his topic are palpable. The quotes from Jung are great and the appendices will be a tremendous resource for generations of Jung scholars. the creative process that guided him to it is a living example of the transcendent function. Jeffrey Miller did something that has never been done before. he found a way to highlight each and every change Jung made in a clear. approaching the transcendent function from multiple perspectives. accessible way. Miller provides the reader with important material concerning Jung’s ideas about the unconscious. Chapters 3 and 4 may be the most interesting for scholars and serious readers of Jung.Contents
IX
FOREWORD
Dr.

Miller provides interesting texture to and applications of the transcendent function in the chapters that follow. providing new. lively connections in a playful and imaginative way. integrative. This last step is an important one in Dr. and religious traditions. Again. Appendix B is a listing of every single mention of the transcendent function in Jung’s written works. In discussing the scope of his study. In summary. Guided by Jung. Joan Chodrow
. a set of invaluable appendices provide the reader with critical reference material about the transcendent function: Appendix A is Miller’s clear. What emerges from the author’s painstaking methodology is an image of a web representing the interconnectedness of key Jungian concepts. To conclude. Miller mirrors the transcendent function itself as he goes deeply into a particular aspect while at the same time amplifying it with wide ranging scholarship. scientific. the transcendent function is at the same time an omnipresent reality in all psychological life. In addition to tracing its vital and central role in Jung’s analytical psychology. which speaks for itself. I highly recommend it to students and professionals across the psychotherapies. social. healing function in the psyche that united the opposites. Appendix C is a review of literature written by Jungian authors on the transcendent function. The most effective method of psychotherapeutic treatment is one that aligns itself with the natural. Miller provides the reader with a comprehensive view of one of Jung’s most important early works. artistic. Dr. Then chapter 6 takes the material into a deeper imaginal landscape. Chapter 7 concludes with a discussion of the transcendent function in everyday life. as well as to ancient and contemporary philosophical. Dr. integrative function of the psyche. Jeffrey Miller notes that his “book does not venture into the related and important area of the clinical application of the transcendent function. Miller’s text. Miller’s work since he presents the transcendent function as more than a tool for the analyst in the consulting room. as Miller seems to allow the transcendent function itself to work through his writing. Dr. I turn now to Jeffrey Miller’s outstanding contribution. original textual comparison of the 1916 and 1958 versions of Jung’s essay The Transcendent Function. Miller links the transcendent function to other psychological theories. this book is all about the creative. published letters. Following his impressive scholarly analysis of Jung’s essay in the early chapters.” Even so. This material is both interesting and thought provoking. He gives examples of ways it appears in everyday life and in human relationships. the author approaches the transcendent function as an archetypal process inherent in psychological life. and public seminars. thorough. Another way to say this: The author makes a compelling case for the centrality of the transcendent function in analytical psychology. with the transcendent function at or near the center. Chapter 5 explores links between the transcendent function and analogous material in other psychologies. Following Dr. In this sense. a method and its underlying healing function are two aspects of the same thing.X
Foreword
way.

It compares and contrasts the transcendent function with transitional and mediatory phenomena from other schools of psychology. If these opposites were held in swaying tension. This book exhaustively reviews the transcendent function through the seminal essay that bears its name. this book hypothesizes that it became his root metaphor for psychological growth or even psyche itself. commentary by others. that a person is pulled forward in a purposive way by psyche. It analyzes the 1958 version of the essay “The Transcendent Function” from Jung’s Collected Works. In addition to describing the transcendent function within Jung’s psychology. was a central departure from the theories of Sigmund Freud.” It was key to his thinking because only through a process of engaging in the transcendent function can a person foster the psychological growth that leads to individuation. xi
. He felt that every idea. and his public seminars. This mechanism he called the “transcendent function. attitude. his letters. the original version written in 1916. and suggests ways that it can be viviﬁed in everyday life. Jung’s theory of individuation. and every reference Jung made to the transcendent function in his written works. and exploration by the author. he posited. third thing would emerge that was not a mixture of the two but qualitatively different. Jung’s other writings.” the process by which one is guided in a teleological way toward the person he or she is meant to be. Jung believed that psychological growth and individuation were only possible through an ongoing conversation between consciousness and the unconscious. or image in consciousness was opposed or compensated for by another in the unconscious and that the two struggled with each other in a kind of polarized dance. identiﬁes its deeper foundational even archetypal roots. whose drive theory posited that a person’s life was largely determined by the push of early life events and traumas.PREFACE
The transcendent function is the core of Carl Jung’s theory of psychological growth and the heart of what he called “individuation. a new.

the book presents a scholarly overview of the transcendent function’s role within the Jungian paradigm. It concludes with a discussion of how the transcendent function can be animated in human relationships.” Though he went on to refer to the concept extensively in eight of his other written works. published letters. archetypal psychology (Hillman). self-psychology (Kohut). Finally. Object relations (Winnicott and Klein). ego psychology (Freud). Jung Institute in Zurich.XII
Preface
Jung ﬁrst explored this key process in 1916. This study also explores the deeper roots and archetypal foundations of the transcendent function as a psychological construct. and in ﬁve public seminars. or perspectives. From this Jungian foundation. in a paper called “The Transcendent Function. and cognitive-behavioral therapy are all analyzed in this context. a third area between ourselves and whatever or whomever we are interacting with. and public seminars. Through this process. the book compares and contrasts the transcendent function with mediatory and transitional concepts from other schools of psychology.
. This book is the ﬁrst to analyze and review the excerpts about the transcendent function in Jung’s written works. in four published letters. that invites the emergence of new attitudes. situations. G. and cultural dialogue in our day-to-day lives in the form of a metaphoric ﬁeld. soon after his break from Freud. client-centered therapy. Jung revised the paper in 1958 for inclusion in the Collected Works in 1960. gestalt therapy. the paper was not published until 1957 when it was discovered by the students of the C. the book seeks to usher the transcendent function from the abstract realm of psychological theory into the world of modern life. Appendix A presents a word-by-word comparison of the two versions to show how Jung’s thinking changed on the subject.

John Beebe.. M.. who helped fashion the early structure of the project. the neither/ nor urge of the psyche. Patricia Speier. and Thomas Kirsch. who introduced me to the transcendent function essay. Most important.D.C.D. Hull’s translation of the 1958 version of “The Transcendent Function. Ph. I also thank Michael Geis.D. Nigel J. and Richard Michael Hunter. for their time and feedback during the creation of this work. M. for the copyright permission to use Pope’s English translation of the 1916 version of Jung’s essay “The Transcendent Function” published in pamphlet format in 1957 in Appendix A. Jung and to Derek George Hunter. with whom I try to live the transcendent function every day. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Robert Romanyshyn. Hunter. G. Ph. M.. Finally. the surviving heirs to A.D..F.” published in 1960 in volume 8 of The Collected Works of C.ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many have contributed to this book. M..D.. M. Randy Charlton.D.D. Much of my ultimate thinking and synthesis was made possible through discussion with my dear friend. M. formed a foundation upon which important synthesizing concepts in the later parts of the book were built.D. R. alchemical thinking. Jung. Ph. Grateful acknowledgment is also given to the Estate of C... all more fully explored in the book. and the detrimental aspects of science and technology.. I also acknowledge Maria Chiaia.D. thanks to Princeton University Press and Taylor & Francis for the copyright permission to use R. I could not have given this work the passion and commitment I did without the love and patience of my wife. G.D. whose powerful writings and teachings about the significance of metaphor in psychological life.. Kathleen.
xiii
. Ph. Pope. Michael Horne. and to Glen Slater. Joe Belichick. Pilar Montero.

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Western consciousness has moved seemingly single-mindedly toward what may best be expressed in the Cartesian cogito—“I think. the order of the cosmos. unknowing. from other humans. With ego development came the ideas of self-determination. Kepler.” Many have argued that this rational. 1989). and into the Industrial Revolution and the modern age. therefore I am.CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EGO IN WESTERN CONSCIOUSNESS The last three millennia have witnessed the development of the logical. an amnesia regarding “participation mystique”2 with the natural world. e.
1
. thinking human being. Romanyshyn. personal freedom. In psychological terms. the march represents the development. Beginning with the ancient Greeks. self-awareness. Many would say (see. Whatever its cause. that these beneﬁts came at a cost: a disunion with the undifferentiated consciousness that previously connected people. individual uniqueness. the Philosophical Revolution of Bacon and Descartes. empirical. the soul of the world. a repudiation of the anima mundi. this procession has led to a focus on the importance of the thinker’s self-awareness. the Scientiﬁc Revolution of Copernicus. the Renaissance and Reformation. Western civilization has marched inexorably toward the elusive goal of the autonomous. and a devaluation of unprovable and unscientiﬁc concepts like intuition. indeed the self as it is used in many areas of psychology today. Galileo. and from the surrounding world. that created the fabric of community. Through the emergence of Christianity.g. rational human. scientiﬁc thrust was necessary for the evolution of the human intellect so that we may comprehend the physical laws of matter. and the processes of nature. and Newton. the awakening of the Middle Ages. however. indeed many would say an inﬂation. of the individual ego1 that could apprehend separateness from the gods.

and implications of which we have only begun to fathom. before. Largely incompatible with the developing. that at the beginning of the twentieth century. dreams. rational ego. p. the deeper meanings of soul— is itself no modern term. “Depth psychology. Jung believed the unconscious to be not only the territory of repression but also a mysterious landscape of autonomous. “Depth” reverberates with a signiﬁcance echoing one of the ﬁrst philosophers of antiquity.2
The Transcendent Function
fantasy. supplements. imagination. the boundaries. where they must inevitably be reclaimed. and metaphors of the unconscious. With roots in the earliest efforts to understand consciousness itself. 1975. images. Freud felt that the unconscious was limited to contents rejected or repressed from consciousness. we are immersed in it—as a profound mystery. Freud and Jung were the ﬁrst to give it close clinical scrutiny. then. symbol. and emotions. Yet almost one hundred years later. even opposes consciousness. indeed to integrate. effects. Though the unconscious had a long history in areas outside of psychology. what is beyond our conscious grasp. the deeper meanings of soul as expressed in dreams. and impact of the unconscious. such is the depth (batun) of its meaning (logos). scope. the unconscious was a kind of backwater carrying the stagnant refuse repudiated as too painful or intolerable to the conscious mind. In his view. when the scientiﬁc paradigm. that branch of psychology that gives primacy to the unconscious.” (Hillman. the Industrial Revolution.
EMERGENCE OF DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY AND EMPHASIS ON THE UNCONSCIOUS In hindsight it came as no surprise. In contrast. First articulated in his 1913 paper “On Psychic Energy” (1928/ 1960). and Cartesian dualism were moving ahead at full throttle. xvii) Depth psychology yearns to apprehend. and around us—or more accurately.
. It still sits beneath. Jung’s idea was that the unconscious guides us in a purposeful way. we have merely begun to apprehend the signiﬁcance. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung gave birth to the ﬁeld of depth psychology. these disowned but necessary parts of human consciousness were relegated to the hidden terrain of the unconscious. depth psychology seeks to go yet further and ﬁnd what is beneath it. teleological intelligence that compensates for.” the modern ﬁeld whose interest is in the unconscious levels of the psyche—that is. even if you traveled every road to do so. All depth psychology has been summed up by this fragment of Heraclitus: “You could not discover the limits of soul (psyche).

(p. Jung eventually came to believe that one cannot individuate.
PRIMER ON THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION In the essay bearing its name written in 1916 but not published until 1957. The confrontation of the two positions generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living. cannot become the person he or she is truly meant to be. the Self3). indeed may be the wellspring from whence they ﬂow. 90) Simply put. the word transcendent was used by Jung to signify the transition from one attitude to another (p. He called the core of that mechanism the transcendent function. a living birth that leads to a new level of being. the transcendent function is described by Jung as arising “from the union of conscious and unconscious contents” (1957/1960. a dialogue between the unconscious and consciousness through which a new direction emerges.Introduction to the Transcendent Function
3
This theoretical leap required Jung to enunciate a psychic mechanism through which such guidance takes place. that is. “It is exactly as if a dialogue were taking place between two human beings with equal rights” (p.. and thereby apprehend the deeper meanings of soul. third thing—not a logical stillbirth in accordance with the principle tertium non datur but a movement out of the suspension between the opposites. 73) through which unconscious components can be united with conscious perceptions to produce a wholly new perspective.g. the archetypes. As Jung wrote in his 1958 prefatory note to “The Transcendent Function” prepared for the Collected Works:
. Explaining how such unconscious contents could be elicited and brought into a dialogue with consciousness. the role of symbol and fantasy. Conceived and explored quite early in the development of Jung’s psychology. the transcendent function is crucial to the central mission of depth psychology. individuation. Indeed. The concept of the purposive unconscious operating through the transcendent function became the hub of Jung’s psychology and represented an irreparable break from Freud. He summarized the transcendent function that emerges as follows: The shuttling to and fro of arguments and affects represents the transcendent function of opposites. p. without conversing with and coming to terms with the unconscious. The paper describes a “synthetic” or “constructive” method (p. and integrate the unconscious. which is to access. the transcendent function is implicated in many of his other key concepts (e. Jung stated. a new situation. 89). The transcendent function is the primary means through which that reconciliation is accomplished. explore. 73). 69).

1988. from which emerges some new position or perspective: Standing in a compensatory relationship to both. 150). “Jung considered the transcendent function to be the most signiﬁcant factor in psychological process” (p. 90). one from consciousness and one from the unconscious. a new situation” (p. p. neither adhering to nor partaking of one side or the other but somehow common to both and offering the possibility of a new synthesis. and Plaut. “Expressing itself by way of the symbol. emerges and gradually begins to work as the process of individuation begins to unfold. p. 1986. which plays the role of an autonomous regulator. compensatory. a living birth that leads to a new level of being. produces something that is not merely an amalgam of or compromise between the two opposites but rather a “living. sufﬁce it to say that Jung posited the transcendent function to be of central importance. particularly in the self-regulating functions of the psyche and in the individuation process: The transcendent function. (Humbert. For Jung. Shorter. 125)
. the essence of the transcendent function is a confrontation of opposites. That which is capable of uniting these two is a metaphorical statement (the symbol) which itself transcends time and conﬂict. in turn. third thing . (Samuels. Thus. Fundamental to his theory is the idea that conscious and unconscious opposites can be bridged by the emergence of a symbol from the fantasy-producing activity of psyche. Shorter. The word transcendent is expressive of the presence of a capacity to transcend the destructive tendency to pull (or be pulled) to one side or the other. p. it may stimulate the reader to a broader and deeper understanding of the problem. 150). p. 151) At the heart of the transcendent function is transformation. [the transcendent function] facilitates a transition from one psychological attitude or condition to another” (Samuels.4
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
As its [the essay’s] basic argument is still valid today. 67) Jung believed that the conscious and unconscious contain opposite. . a shift in consciousness. and Plaut. 1986. or complementary material and that psyche’s natural tendency is to strive to bring the conscious and unconscious positions together for the purpose of integrating them. Though its full implications are beyond the scope of this introduction. . the transcendent function enables thesis and antithesis to encounter one another on equal terms. This problem is identical with the universal question: How does one come to terms in practice with the unconscious? (1957/1960. The symbol. Indeed. it is in the activation of the transcendent function that true maturity lies.

. Jung writes. idea and thing. the transcendent function is a subject that has broader signiﬁcance to depth psychology. The depth psychological perspective beholds all phenomena with the exhortations. The second stage is controlled by what Jung calls the transcendent function. in all of its aspects. Viewed in this way. Depth psychology is intimately involved in all these enterprises. “I don’t know” and “Something is happening here that I cannot see. Jung held that the transcendent function was crucial to the process of individuation and the drive toward wholeness by the Self. that which is buried beneath or lies between the layers of what is perceptible. inner and outer. of the personality originally hidden away in the embryonic germplasm.” The transcendent function is the means by which the unity or self archetype is realized [italics added]. 84) The transcendent function has to do with opening a dialogue between the conscious and unconscious to allow a living. (p. is “the realization. the transcendent function is inherent in the person.” It seeks the unseen and liminal. subject and object. The concepts of a psychic struggle between polarized segments of consciousness. the production and unfolding of the original potential wholeness.Introduction to the Transcendent Function
5
Moreover. mechanisms that mediate such antitheses. Jung and Freud initiated the “movement beneath and between” and that course is being followed by adherents in both schools. The aim of the transcendent function. individuation of all aspects of the personality. transformation through the liminal spaces between such opposing forces. As Hall and Nordby (1973) state: The ﬁrst step toward integration is. that implicates liminality. thought and feeling. Indeed. the transcendent function may be an expression of a larger human urge to reconcile ontological quandaries such as spirit and matter. Beyond its importance to Jungian psychology. and transcendence. transformation. the transcendent function can be thought of as an archetypal phenomenon. individuation. The transcendent function is an archetypal process that implicates other archetypal processes that can be found in the theories and writings of other depth psychologists. as we have just seen. and the “third” emerging from the struggle of the “two” are all ideas that recur in the ﬁeld of depth psychology. initiation. It has a central role in the self-regulating nature of the psyche. This function is endowed with the capability of uniting all of the opposing trends in the personality and of working toward the goal of wholeness. Like the process of individuation. form and substance. third thing to emerge that is neither a combination of nor a rejection of the two. and the Self ’s drive toward wholeness.4 ubiquitous to and inherent in human experience.

an offshoot of Jungian psychology. which contains a comparison of the two. rational consciousness. Between us and events. As Hillman. ﬁrst of all. and the archetypes? Reference is made to relevant excerpts from each of the written works.
SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK This book is a theoretical and analytical examination of the transcendent function and the concepts it implicates. The exploration begins in chapter 2 with a detailed review and analysis of “The Transcendent Function. This perspective is reﬂective. It investigates Jung’s thinking on the key topics that emerge from the essay and refers to Appendix A. soon after his break with Freud and during his struggles with the images of the unconscious. and letters. The transcendent function is fundamental to both the substance of that vocation and methods of pursuing it. a powerful contemporary advocate of depth psychology’s message. Chapter 3 traces Jung’s thinking about the transcendent function by way of the dozens of references he made to it in eight other written works. and four published letters. p. Appendix B
. it mediates events and make differences between ourselves and everything that happens. between the doer and the deed. a viewpoint toward things rather than a thing itself. a seeking of the reﬂective vantage point between ourselves and the events we perceive. That chapter reviews and compares the 1916 version and the revised version prepared by Jung in 1958 for inclusion in the Collected Works. seminars.5 which identiﬁes “soul” as that which seeks deeper meaning and provides the connective tissue between the seen and the hidden. showing every addition to and deletion from the 1916 version that Jung made in creating the 1958 version. It addresses such questions as: How exactly does the transcendent function work? Does the transcendent function operate on its own or can it be prompted in some way? How does the transcendent function interact with other key Jungian concepts such as individuation.” one of three important essays that Jung wrote in 1916. a striving to have revealed that which remains hidden.6
The Transcendent Function
One contemporary expression of these ideas can be found in archetypal psychology. Having accepted as its destiny the recovery and integration of the unconscious from domination by logical. ﬁve public seminars. a perspective rather than a substance. depth psychology struggles with ways in which to accomplish its charge. xvi) There is a conﬂuence between the soul-making aspiration of depth psychology and the telos of the transcendent function: a mediation of conscious and unconscious. there is a reﬂective moment—and soulmaking means differentiating the middle ground. (1975. states: By soul I mean. the Self.

even archetypal. a way that the psyche seeks connections between disparate elements in order to continually evolve and grow. Indeed. Here the book engages in a lively dialogue about whether there is any relationship between the transcendent function and transitional/mediatory phenomena hypothesized by others. the emergence of the third from the polarity of two).Introduction to the Transcendent Function
7
gives a complete list of all those references together with the pages surrounding each reference that the author believes give the reader the material necessary for the reference to be fully understood. me/not-me.e. i. both in words and images. the emergence of something larger than the ego that is purposeful. Notwithstanding the uniqueness of Jung’s thinking on the transcendent function (i. archetypal patterns of liminality and initiation. it makes the proposition that the transcendent function is Jung’s root metaphor for psyche itself or for becoming psychological and is the wellspring from whence ﬂowed much of the rest of Jung’s imaginal. the chasm between subject and object. It implicates deeper patterns in the psyche. Chapter 6 shifts to an exploration of the deeper roots or archetypal basis of the transcendent function. depth psychology. even numinous and holy. the role of fantasy and symbol in mediating such antitheses. the dynamic opposition of the psyche. the transcendent function is conceptualized as ubiquitous to psychological experience. this
. chapter 6 posits that the transcendent function is an archetypal process that represents what the chapter calls the “neither/nor” and “autochthonous” urges of the psyche. Through an examination of these patterns. Viewed through this lens. The references are addressed thematically in the framework of key topics in Jung’s paradigm..e. The research that led to this chapter yielded an important realization: that the references to the transcendent function implicate just about every core Jungian concept. the core components of the transcendent function. Chapter 4 springs from the analysis in chapter 3 and posits that the transcendent function is centrally located in the complex web of Jungian concepts. The chapter concludes by posing questions that ﬂow from the idea of the transcendent function as a root metaphor: Does it ﬁnd expression in the theories of others? Is the transcendent function reﬂective of deeper. working from the premise that the transcendent function may be seen as a metaphor for becoming psychological or for psychological transformation. and the potentiating of a transformative result). including the binary oppositions inherent in consciousness. the archetypal energies of Hermes (the god of boundaries and connections between realms). expressions of psyche? Chapter 5. and the search for a connection with the Divine. the deeper foundations of three (the number embodied by the transcendent function. Though somewhat abstract. It then makes an attempt to set forth and analyze. known/unknown. compares and contrasts the transcendent function with the theories of others. many schools of psychology struggle with the relationships between self/other.

Appendix C provides a literature review of sources that discuss the transcendent function in ways that are less central to the focus of this book. Readers who wish to add a clinical dimension to the theories and analysis offered herein would be well served to consult the work of Chodorow (1997). Through these concepts. and integrating the unconscious. Jung introduced the method of active imagination as a way to prompt the occurrence of the transcendent function in analysis. showing how the transcendent function allows us to see all the world as a way of embodying. it shifts the focus to everyday living. In the essay that bears its name. Chapter 7 proposes a model for deepening relationships and for revisioning the deep rifts we see in social and cultural issues. That is the proper topic for a separate work and is reserved for a future volume. and day-to-day living.
. von Franz (1980). In addition.g.. democratic discourse). relating to. Finally. the transcendent function is then applied to relationships. a dialogue through which something new emerges. to prompt a conversation between that which is known/conscious/acknowledged and that which is unknown/unconscious/hidden. and Johnson (1986). It is also a subject that has received treatment by others. Dallett (1982). gender differences. social and cultural issues (e. race relations. Hannah (1953). gun control. abortion.8
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
discussion of the deeper patterns of psyche is the natural analytic destination of any comprehensive discussion of the transcendent function. The book concludes in chapter 7 by turning to more practical concerns: How can we better recognize and apply the transcendent function in our lives? Here the transcendent function is used as a tool for everyday living. It uses analogies to alchemy to emphasize that the essence of the transcendent function is to allow something new to emerge from things that are in seemingly irreconcilable conﬂict. It is important to note here that this book does not venture into the related and important area of the clinical application of the transcendent function.

it should come as no surprise that Jung wrote “The Transcendent Function” in 1916 when he was himself actively engaging in making such a connection. the interaction between ego and the unconscious. 170). all the details of his life “with particular emphasis to childhood memories” (p. and the interaction of the opposites in consciousness and the unconscious that allows psychological transformation. the importance of purpose and meaning in working with the unconscious.CHAPTER TWO
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION ESSAY
“The Transcendent Function” essay was seminal in the development of key aspects of Jung’s metapsychology. 170) and that he “lived as if under constant inner pressure” (p. 173). Jung decided to submit to a conversation with the unconscious:
9
. This amounted to Jung’s unsuccessful attempt to deal with the turmoil rationally with primary emphasis on the linear logic of consciousness. its compensatory relationship to consciousness. p.1 Jung went through several years of what he himself called “a period of uncertainty” (1989c. methods for accessing material from the unconscious. 173). Jung stated ﬂatly that “it would be no exaggeration to call it a state of disorientation” (p. In it he explores foundational concepts such as the omnipresence of the unconscious. the role of the analyst in mediating the transcendent function. In response to the disturbances. its synthetic (as opposed to purely reductive) nature. These themes will be explored below through a review of the text of this groundbreaking essay. but to no avail. In a kind of surrender. Jung meticulously reviewed. After his break with Freud in or around 1912. not once but twice.
1916: HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION Given that the transcendent function is a bridge between the conscious and unconscious.

and dialogued with fantasy ﬁgures. (p. undoubtedly that period reﬂects an intense struggle by Jung to converse with and come to terms with the contents of the unconscious. These foundational
. “Since I know nothing at all. 177) His descriptions of confrontations with the unconscious lead some to believe that Jung was substantially debilitated. p. Jung describes the release of the unconscious images in overwhelming terms: An incessant stream of fantasies had been released. 173) Jung’s capitulation was a seminal moment in depth psychology because it acknowledged for the ﬁrst time the purposive. an explicit recognition of the fact that psychological growth requires a partnership between conscious and unconscious. during at least part of that time. and I did my best not to lose my head but to ﬁnd some way to understand these strange things. that decision may be said to be the birth of the transcendent function in Jung’s thinking.2 Indeed. I shall simply do whatever occurs to me. One thunderstorm followed another. Indeed.10
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
But this retrospection led to nothing but a fresh acknowledgment of my ignorance. a pivotal year in which he wrote three of his major early works: “The Transcendent Function” (1957/1960). and actively engaging in interactions with the visions that appeared to him. He dreamt prodigiously. During the next several years Jung was buffeted by the turbulent forces of the unconscious. “The Structure of the Unconscious” (1916/1953). which was later revised and became “Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (1928/1953). Thereupon I said to myself. was invaded by symbolic visions. even clinically impaired. often I felt as if gigantic blocks of stone were tumbling down upon me.” Thus I consciously submitted myself to the impulses of the unconscious. “The Psychology of the Unconscious Processes” which later was revised and became “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1953). teleological nature of the unconscious. p. 173). In response. A year later he wrote another major work. Jung’s emergence both from his break with Freud and from his descent into the unconscious took place in 1916. journaling about his experiences. everything in it seemed difﬁcult and incomprehensible. I was living in a constant state of tension. Jung experimented with several forms of self-healing: using stones from the lakeshore behind his house to build a miniature town. and the anonymously published VII Sermones ad Mortuos (1925/1967). Jung himself uses that kind of language: “At times [the inner pressure] became so strong that I suspected there was some psychic disturbance in myself ” (1989c. (1989c. I stood helpless before an alien world. Whether or not the events in the several years following his rupture with Freud amounted to a breakdown. Embedded in these works are the core of many of Jung’s most important ideas more fully developed later.

67fn). p. In order that the reader can participate in the analysis a word-by-word comparison of the two versions is set forth in Appendix A. was then published in Volume 8 of the Collected Works in 1960. “The Transcendent Function” essay is the transcendent function at work. To my knowledge. To fully apprehend all of the nuances and provide a comprehensive study of this subject. no one has ever done any analysis of the differences between the 1916 and 1958 versions.” In 1958. Pope (a renowned Jungian analyst in Zurich who died in 1998).Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay
11
concepts. 67fn). Jung Institute. when it was. Jung Institute. at least in part. 67fn). a mediatory product ﬂowing directly from a dialogue between conscious and unconscious forces in Jung that psychologically transformed him and prompted. together with the work as revised in 1958. particularly the transcendent function. the underlined text is the language Jung added in 1958. The prefatory note was partially rewritten by Jung and it. p. and published under the name “The Transcendent Function” by the Students Association. a comparison and analysis of these important works offers a unique opportunity. according to Jung. p. Jung wrote the essay in its original form in German in 1916 under the title “Die Transzendent Funktion. p. 1957/1960) is not the original work that Jung wrote in 1916 but a revision he prepared forty-two years later. his paradigm-shifting theories and writings during that period. Zurich ( Jung. C. G. a detailed comparison of the two works was conducted. The original paper written in 1916 and translated by Dr.” Inexplicably. translated into English by A. the paper was not published in any form until 1957. the lined-out text is language that was removed from the 1916 version when Jung revised it to create the 1958 version.
THE 1916 AND 1958 PUBLISHED FORMS OF THE ESSAY The version of “The Transcendent Function” that we see in Volume 8 of the Collected Works ( Jung. G. Pope in 1957 shall be referred to as the “1916 version. R. ﬂowed directly from the conversation between conscious and unconscious materials to which Jung submitted. 1957) in what Jung would later call “its ﬁrst. “discovered by students of the C. A cursory review of Appendix A shows that Jung made substantial changes to the 1916 version when he created the 1958 version. The revised paper that appears in the Collected Works shall be referred to as the “1958 version. Zurich” (1957/1960. 67fn) the original German version for republication together with a prefatory note (1957/ 1960. Jung “considerably revised” (1957/1960. In this sense.” Given the importance of the transcendent function in Jung’s psychology and the synchronistic timing of these two versions at the inception (soon after his break with Freud) and culmination (just three years before his death) of his writing. provisional form” (1957/1960. There are numerous
.

By connecting an unconscious product to the past. and fully forty-two years after the original version. less important ones shall be included in footnotes or left to the reader’s scrutiny. p. “Constructive treatment of the unconscious. some additions and omissions constitute signiﬁcant conceptual shifts. . Though Jung stated in the prefatory note to the 1958 version that his changes were intended to “preserve the main trend of thought and the unavoidable limitedness of its horizon” (1957/1960. synthetic view is that in addition to the push of early life experiences. there were important substantive changes as well. paves the way for the patient’s insight into that process which I call the transcendent function” (p. One of the most signiﬁcant departures of Jungian psychology from other approaches is its rejection of the notion that psychological manifestations can be reduced exclusively to the effects of events of early life. the Jungian. . psychology is not just about unearthing the traumas of childhood but also learning what psyche is guiding us toward: Jung is critical of the reductive method because the full meaning of the unconscious product (symptom. purposive elements of the psyche that guide us forward. dream. psychological existence is also inﬂuenced by the pull of unconscious. Jung was more interested in where a person’s life was leading him. In the opening passages. As Jung states later in the paper. 67). Jung described his orientation as “synthetic. rather than the supposed causes of his situation. the so-called reductive view. however. p. slip of the tongue) is not disclosed.12
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clariﬁcations and stylistic changes that merely made the work’s manifest meaning more understandable. Jung indicates that the paper might give the reader “some idea of the efforts of understanding which were needed for the ﬁrst attempts at a synthetic view of the psychic process of analytical treatment” (1957/1960. to the 1916 version where relevant.
EXPLORATION OF DETAILS OF “THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION” PAPER The Prefatory Note Written in ﬁnal form a mere two years before his death in 1961. that is. its present value to the individual may be lost. 67). Reference will also be made. Rather.” with the implication
. image. Though the more important revisions will be included in the actual text of the work. The analysis will focus on the 1958 version both because it is more widely read and because it represents a more developed iteration of Jung’s ideas. However. . the question of meaning and purpose. 75). His was a teleological point of view. From the perspective of the synthetic view. the prefatory note provides important insight into Jung’s thoughts about the signiﬁcance of the paper and the concepts it embodies.

the telos of one’s life. . Finally. (Samuels. As Jung states in the prefatory note: After forty-two years. and destiny. . one that affects us in an unexplainable and numinous way. pp. almost like a label on a modern-day consumer product. Deﬁnitional Sections Jung wastes no time in telling the reader what he means by the transcendent function. This problem is identical with the universal question: How does one come to terms in practice with the unconscious? . 127)
13
Jung saw the unconscious as key not just to revealing and healing old wounds. . the prefatory note informs the reader that Jung will be describing the method of “active imagination. the unconscious takes on a mystical quality. but also to learning about one’s destiny. p. p. . (1957/1960. of all religions and all philosophies. Jung quickly cautions that because the method of active imagination accesses unconscious contents. neither of which can be sought or gained without real risk. . .” which he calls “the most important auxiliary for the production of those contents of the unconscious which lie. . it is the fundamental question. as it were. and may even lead to a genuine ‘psychotic interval’” so that the method should “not be employed except under expert supervision” (p. 1986. The ﬁrst paragraph of the paper gives an opening deﬁnition of the concept:
. Jung gives us important information about the transcendent function. 68). 68).Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay that it was what emerged from the starting point that was of primary signiﬁcance. Shorter. purpose. the method of active imagination. the synthetic view implicates meaning. immediately below the threshold of consciousness” (1957/1960. In this short prefatory note. the problem has lost nothing of its topicality. 68). Indirectly. Jung also puts the reader on notice that he is addressing not just techniques but rather what he sees as the heart of psyche: meaning and purpose. For the unconscious is not this thing or that. in practice. the fact that he capitalizes “Unknown” and links it to “all religions and philosophies” leads me to conclude that he believes that the unconscious has a kind of divine quality. Seen in this way. and Plaut. it is the Unknown as it immediately affects us. In contrast to the reductive view which seeks to tie psychological phenomena to events of the past. it is “not a plaything for children” (p. 67–68) Though Jung does not say so explicitly. He gives fair warning that unconscious contents “may overpower the conscious mind and take possession of the personality . and the synthetic approach.

This preﬁgures another theme visited later: that the transcendent function (and the transformation it ushers in) is a natural process producing change in the normal course of psychic events. abstruse. . even numinous concept. . Furthermore. Jung tells us. (1957/1960. abstract. Indeed. the “fundamental question . But it is mysterious and metaphysical! The very idea of uniting conscious and unconscious material is abstract. we see the speciﬁc reference to “the union of conscious and unconscious contents. barely a page earlier. Jung calls coming to terms with the unconscious the “universal question” (1957/1960. 69) Here. of all religions” (p. subtle. it potentiates psychological growth. and otherworldly. and refers to the unconscious as the “Unknown” (p. p. In his discussion of the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious. which is a function of real and imaginary numbers. p. p. Curiously. 67).14
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There is nothing mysterious or metaphysical about the term “transcendent function. One other early passage is helpful for deﬁnitional purposes. in Jung’s ﬁrst description of the transcendent function. Compensatory Relationship of the Unconscious to Consciousness Essential to Jung’s metapsychology and the transcendent function is the idea that the unconscious contains complementary or compensatory material to that of consciousness: Experience in analytical psychology has amply shown that the conscious and the unconscious seldom agree as to their contents and
. Methinks he doth protest too much! One might speculate that the “scientiﬁc” Jung was reacting to the “metaphysical” Jung in a denial of what was clearly an intuitive. 68). The psychological “transcendent function” arises from the union of conscious and unconscious contents. (1957/1960. It is called “transcendent” because it makes the transition from one attitude to another organically possible without loss of the unconscious.” It means a psychological function comparable in its way to a mathematical function of the same name.” the bringing together of what we perceive consciously and the unconscious contents of which we are unaware. the shift takes place organically. 68). Jung goes out of his way to say that there is “nothing mysterious or metaphysical” about the transcendent function. 73) The function is called “transcendent” because it allows an individual to transcend his or her attitude and arrive at a new one. Jung says: The tendencies of the conscious and the unconscious are the two factors that together make up the transcendent function.

excludes what is not known. p. adaptive. personal material from the past. whereas the unconscious houses the less directed (intuitive). p. 1957. or powerful to be held in consciousness. (3) consciousness embodies “the momentary process of adaptation” whereas the unconscious contains not only the present but also personal material from an individual’s past along with “all the inherited behavior traces” of humanity. p. behavior traces from the rest of humanity (the seedling for Jung’s later work on the archetypes). and personal material. Though Jung saw these qualities as necessary to adapt to the needs of the modern age. whereas Jung proclaimed the unconscious to be an independent psychic system in dynamic partnership with consciousness. Jung believed that consciousness contains directed. the unconscious. 71. (2) consciousness has “directed functions” that inhibit all “incompatible material” thereby forcing it into the unconscious. fantasy. violent.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay their tendencies.4 he also identiﬁes the crucial disadvantage of the so-called “directed process” (p. 69) Here Jung delineates the signiﬁcant differences between his conception of the unconscious and Freud’s view: Freud saw the unconscious as the repository for material that was too unpleasant. This lack of parallelism is not just accidental or purposeless.3 and (4) the unconscious contains all “the fantasy combinations” which have not yet become conscious but which “under suitable conditions will enter the light of consciousness. and fantasy material. by its nature. but is due to the fact that the unconscious behaves in a compensatory or complementary manner [italics added] towards the conscious. Consciousness allows us to function in our day-to-day lives. (1957/1960. For the ﬁrst time in depth psychology. intuition. we see here the idea of consciousness and the unconscious as coequals in psyche.” (p. 70): it constantly makes a judgment which. 69) and asserts that it is in constant tension with what he calls “counter-positions” in the unconscious (1957/1960. 7). thereby making consciousness necessarily one-sided:
. whereas the unconscious compensates and complements by providing symbol. p. and collective images. 69)
15
Jung cites four separate reasons for the complementary and compensatory relationship between consciousness and the unconscious: (1) consciousness possesses a requisite level of intensity such that elements not meeting that level remain in the unconscious. Jung gives special scrutiny to the “deﬁniteness and directedness of the conscious mind” (1957/1960.

(pp. the complementary nature. Jung’s writings began to emphasize the compensatory nature of the unconscious and to give less weight to. Interestingly. and what under certain conditions might considerably enrich the directed process. when it is most important to maintain the conscious direction. counter-position in the unconscious. . . . his later works emphasize the opposites in the conscious and unconscious. p. on what is already known. the more readily a powerful counter-position can build up in the unconscious. . compensatory. The further we are able to remove ourselves from the unconscious through directed functioning. (1957/1960. and when this breaks out it may have disagreeable consequences. even exclude. conscious process. . what is still unknown. . Through such acts of judgment the directed process necessarily becomes one-sided. affecting consciousness with precisely the qualities it strives to exclude” (p. It is never based on what is new. the greater its strength and the chances it will erupt into consciousness with unpleasant results. the more the unconscious counter-position is pushed down. . . 70–71) Jung clearly delineates the signiﬁcant detriment of the directed process: it closes us off from the new and unknown that reside in the unconscious. As Hillman (1975) states it: “An axiom of depth psychology asserts that what is not admitted into awareness irrupts in ungainly. the importance of the opposites in psychic functioning increased. But if the tension increases as a result of too great one-sidedness. . Though he uses the phrase compensatory or complementary in the 1916 version of this essay. Furthermore. Jung argues. As Jung’s thinking progressed. subvert. It is an advantage and a drawback at the same time. or deny the unconscious through overemphasis on the directed. i.e. for direction implies one-sidedness.. the counter-tendency breaks through into consciousness.
. usually just . Jung lays out his conception of the relationship of consciousness and the unconscious: for every attitude or position in the conscious there is a complementary. . 71) Here Jung gives voice to what is now a widely accepted and oft-cited principle of depth psychology: when we ignore. . . As that change took effect. . the unconscious will manifest itself in unpleasant or even tragic ways. One-sidedness is an unavoidable and necessary characteristic of the directed process. obsessive ways. a subject we will visit in greater depth in the next chapter. The counter-position in the unconscious is not dangerous so long as it does not possess any high energy-value. Jung’s language on this score shifts over time. .16
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The judgment in its turn is always based on experience. Thus. 46).

ﬁnding a way to bring consciousness into contact with the unconscious: The basic question for the therapist is not how to get rid of the momentary difﬁculty. Indeed. he says. we can expect constant intrusions from the unconscious. Dream-life and intrusions from the unconscious continue— mutatis mutandis—impeded” (p. This cannot be done by condemning the contents of the unconscious in a one-sided way. and how can it be conveyed to the patient? The answer obviously consists in getting rid of the separation between conscious and unconscious. p. it cannot be exhausted any more than can consciousness. the language just quoted was not a part of the 1916 version. Freud’s conception of the unconscious as the repository of repressed material meant that with sufﬁcient analysis. In contrast. (p. 73) Interestingly. It also tells us that even after four decades of developing
. but rather by recognizing their signiﬁcance in compensating the onesidedness of consciousness and by taking this signiﬁcance into account. Jung states: “Freud’s hope that the unconscious could be ‘exhausted’ has not been fulﬁlled. the unconscious could theoretically all be made conscious and emptied out. 72). this is a fundamental psychic truth: The unconscious is ever present. In one of the signiﬁcant 1958 additions. there emerges still another counter-position to what just became conscious. inﬂuencing conscious life. 71). Instead of encouraging a falsely omnipotent attitude that analysis can give the patient a handle on the unconscious. it is the very nature of psychic life. Even when something from the unconscious is made conscious. Jung (1957/1960) thus comes to the central focus of the essay. For Jung. Jung saw the unconscious as an inexhaustible and omnipresent part of psychic life. Its addition stands as testimony to the importance of the role of the unconscious in compensating for the one-sidedness of consciousness and in the part the analyst plays to assist the patient in discovering that. it was added by Jung in 1958. Jung asserts that analytic treatment does not stop intrusions from the unconscious: “We deem it unwise to expect an elimination or standstill of the unconscious after the so-called completion of the treatment” (1957/1960. thus further distancing himself from Freud. Jung acknowledges the ubiquitous effects of the unconscious and exhorts an analytic stance that will assist the patient in learning how to continuously deal with it. but how future difﬁculties may be successfully countered.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay Omnipresence and Compensation of the Unconscious
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Jung’s next move in the paper is to make a case for the omnipresence of the unconscious in psychological life. The question is: what kind of mental and moral attitude is it necessary to have towards the disturbing inﬂuences of the unconscious.

combining its material in ways which serve the future [italics added]. future. subliminal combinations that are prospective. This was the heart of Jung’s belief in the synthetic or constructive method. without loss of the unconscious. It produces . The constructive method however presupposes some conscious knowledge. the unconscious could serve man as a unique guide” (1943/1953. . onesided consciousness has been guiding us to a new way of being. pp. As indicated. It assists us in moving from the old way in which our directed. He said. the underlined text is the language Jung added in 1958): The term] <It is called> “transcendent” [designates the fact that this function mediates] <because it makes> the transition from one attitude to another [. Jung’s conviction that psychological health requires constant interplay between consciousness and the unconscious remained unshakable. 73–74) Instructively. bringing us closer to the purpose to which we are being drawn. The Constructive Method: Importance of Purpose and Meaning Jung not only believed in the omnipresence of the unconscious. The constructive or synthetic method of treatment presupposes insights which are at least potentially present in the patient and can therefore be made conscious. The transcendent function is closely tied to the constructive view of psyche. the 1958 language shifted signiﬁcantly from Jung’s original 1916 language. (1957/1960. Jung ﬂatly disagreed with Freud’s assertion that the unconscious only contains repressed material. . p. but also that in it lies the core of new attitudes that seek to guide us in a teleological way. and destiny. p. These are the seeds of future conscious contents” (1928/1953. . 116). 128). For these reasons.18
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
further ideas. As Jung states in the 1958 version: It [the transcendent function] is called “transcendent” because it makes the transition from one attitude to another organically possible. Instead of reducing the unconscious to what it represents about early life. “The unconscious is continually active. . which the patient too can be made to realize in the course of treatment. “The unconscious also contains all the material that has not yet reached the threshold of consciousness. . If the analyst knows nothing of these potentialities he cannot help the patient to develop them either. since the physician is aware in
. Jung beseeched that it be received for what might be constructed or synthesized about purpose. An excerpt from Appendix A comparing the two versions follows (the lined-out text is language that was removed from the 1916 version when Jung revised it to create the 1958 version.

The constructive or synthetic method of treatment presupposes insights which are at least potentially present in the patient and can therefore be made conscious. Second.” This language stresses the notion that the transcendent function is a normal part of psychic life that organically. and the transcendent function in his psychology. First. i. Thus. The Role of the Analyst: Mediating the Transcendent Function Jung posits that the analyst has a central role in assisting the patient in recognizing and integrating the contents of the unconscious: “In actual practice. the 1958 language is signiﬁcantly different from the 1916 version: [Through constructive] <Constructive> treatment of the unconscious [the foundation is laid for ] <. purpose. Once again. without loss of the unconscious. Emphasizing that both the constructive method and the transcendent function have at their core meaning and purpose. The use of the word insights in the 1958 version. Jung makes the latter point clear in the next page of the 1958 version. p. 75). the idea that the transcendent function makes a transition from one attitude to another “organically possible.
19
Two changes are signiﬁcant. paves the way for the patient’s insight into that process which I call> the transcendent function.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay principle of the potential existence of this knowledge. Jung states. “Constructive treatment of the unconscious. then in this respect] <organically possible. Though meaning and purpose were always.. the question of meaning and purpose. If the analyst knows nothing of these potentialities> he cannot help the patient <to develop them> either. that is the question of meaning and purpose. without loss of the unconscious. helps him to bring conscious and unconscious together and so
. at least in part. the constructive method. Jung took the opportunity to clarify the centrality of meaning. underscores Jung’s belief that information in the unconscious is purposeful. 1957/1960. when he drafted the 1958 revisions. absent from the 1916 version. naturally occurs through the interplay of consciousness and the unconscious. these concepts apparently became clearer during Jung’s life.e. paves the way for the patient’s insight into that process which I call the transcendent function” ( Jung.that is. This topic will be discussed further since Jung is somewhat contradictory on this point. the suitably trained analyst mediates the transcendent function for the patient. Jung’s reﬁnements of the language regarding the nature of the constructive information available to the individual are signiﬁcant. If the physician himself knows nothing about it. at the heart of how Jung saw the importance of the unconscious.

But in that way the meaning and purpose of the transference are not understood. It has become a metaphorical expression of the not consciously realized need for help in a crisis. p. p. in the sense of somehow psychically carrying the contents until the patient is able to absorb the new attitude? Or is the analyst mediating the idea of a new attitude or situation and in that sense holding some kind of potential space for the patient? Or. Though this statement is clear on its face. . the analyst “carries unrealized potentials for psychological transformation” by “being open to carrying whatever aspects of initiatory change the patient needs to encounter at a given moment” (p. .20
The Transcendent Function
arrive at a new attitude” (1957/1960. Historically it is correct to explain the erotic character of the transference in terms of the infantile eros. but the answer is probably a combination of each of these ways of mediation and/or different ways at different times. 51). 153). S. Jung explains that the patient naturally attaches to the analyst since the analyst holds that which is integral to the patient’s growth: In this function of the analyst [mediating the transcendent function for the patient] lies one of the many important meanings of the transference. Is the analyst mediating the actual contents of the patient’s transcendent function. . . as an erotic infantile fantasy. [T]here is a tendency to understand it in a reductive sense only. .” The patient transfers to the analyst an as yet undeveloped function: accessing and integrating unconscious material to produce a transformation of attitude. . As Joseph (1997) states. . Powell (1985) states it somewhat differently when she says that “the symbolic attitude is mediated through the analyst until the patient is able to allow unconscious contents of the psyche to enter consciousness freely” (p. . Addressing the subject of transference. (1957/1960. is the analyst mediating the transcendent function by modeling it for the patient. 75). early-life experiences. The analyst assists the patient both by holding the potential of that apprehension and by knowing that the transference has as much to do with the patient’s deep drive to move to a new attitude as it does to the reductive. showing the patient that it is normal and positive to allow that kind of transition? Jung’s words do not directly answer these questions. He sees the unconscious as a deep source of insight which the patient may tap to apprehend the meaning of the patient’s life. closer scrutiny raises several questions. Jung enunciates what might be called “constructive transference. 74) Jung’s thinking about the role of transference within the analyst-analysand relationship gives relief to his discussion of the constructive method. The patient clings by means of the transference to the person who seems to promise him a renewal of attitude. .
. The understanding of the transference is to be sought not in its historical antecedents but in its purpose.

Jung states what would become an important foundation of his metapsychology. Western civilization: Its [the unconscious’s] regulating inﬂuence. To this extent the psyche of civilized man is no longer a self-regulating system but could rather be compared to a machine whose speed-regulation is so insensitive that it can continue to function to the point of self injury. “why is it so absolutely necessary to up the unconscious contents” (1957/1960. It is as though the counteraction has lost its regulating inﬂuence. p. (1957/1960. mind. p. (1957/1960. and that he should endeavor to pay attention to the unconscious regulation which is so necessary for our physical and emotional health. 78). However. because the counteraction as such seems incompatible with the conscious direction.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay Artiﬁcially Inducing Unconscious Contents
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Jung then ponders a logical inconsistency in his thinking: If the unconscious is organically at work providing the counter-position to consciousness. is eliminated by critical attention and directed will. “why cannot the unconscious be left to its own devices” (p. and hence its energy. altogether. He concludes that it is imperative we remember the importance of the regulating inﬂuences of the unconscious to the well-being of body. and psyche: Anyone who has seen these things happen over and over again in every conceivable shade of dramatic intensity is bound to ponder. (1957/1960. 79) Moreover. 79)? First. 79) Jung gives examples of this kind of suppression and the megalomania that results. when the unconscious counteraction is suppressed. Jung cautions that the self-regulating mechanism can be defeated by overdevelopment of the conscious mind and that that has occurred in modern. p. for a condition then arises in which not only no inhibiting counteraction takes place. it not only loses its regulating inﬂuence but strengthens the directed function of the conscious mind: It then begins to have an accelerating and intensifying effect on the conscious process. the self-regulating nature of the psyche: “Since the psyche is a self-regulating system. He becomes aware how easy it is to overlook the regulating inﬂuences. p. 79). 81)
. however. just as the body is. the regulating counteraction will always develop in the unconscious” (p. why should it be necessary to induce artiﬁcially a confrontation between conscious and unconscious contents? He asks. but in which its energy seems to add itself to that of the conscious direction.

81) or. Jung’s conclusion about the unsuitability of dreams paved the way for his development of active imagination. 82) The goal is not to eliminate the symptom but rather to dive into the energy locked inside of it. for a causal explanation of these states is usually satisfying only to the outsider. The patient would like to know what it is all for and how to gain relief. dull discontent. 78) that have “a more composed and coherent character” (p. 77). . a pure product of the unconscious” (p. Jung sets the stage for his discussion of the role of the transcendent function and active imagination in restoring equilibrium to the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious. 83). which he saw as more effective for the production of “spontaneous fantasies” (p. so to speak. he also points out that “since the energy-tension in sleep is usually very low. a sort of boredom or vague disgust. He states that although “the most readily accessible expression of unconscious processes is undoubtedly dreams” (p. p. . . 1957/1960. . Though Jung later places much greater emphasis on the use of dreams. at this early stage he concludes that they are not an appropriate source of unconscious material for purposes of the transcendent function. 77). 77). are inferior expressions of unconscious contents” (p. through its overdevelopment of the directed ego functions of the conscious mind. we need the unconscious material” ( Jung. “just a general. (p. In the intensity of the emotional disturbance itself lies the value. 77) and that the “dream is. the energy which he should have at his disposal in order to remedy the state of reduced adaptation. Producing Unconscious Material: Active Imagination The initial stage in the actual mechanics of the transcendent function is the production of data from the unconscious: “First and foremost. one that Jung calls an “artiﬁcial aid” (p. 77) and are “unsuitable or difﬁcult to make use of in developing the transcendent function” (p. in the absence of a speciﬁc symptom. a feeling of resistance to everything. can be used either in response to a patient’s “depressed or disturbed state of mind for which no adequate cause can be found” (p. The core of active imagination is ﬁnding a way into the
. But none of them is really satisfying as an explanation. has created a dangerous psychic imbalance that inhibits the natural operation of the unconscious.22
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By asserting that modern Western civilization. an indeﬁnable but excruciating emptiness” (p. 81) for evoking unconscious material. Naturally the patient can give any number of rationalistic reasons [for the depressed or disturbed state of mind]—the bad weather alone sufﬁces as a reason. The technique. . 77). dreams . Jung then gives voice to another tenet of his psychology: within the symptom lies the key to the patient’s ability to respond.

At all events. since the previously unrelated affect has become a more or less clear and articulate idea. as it were. Since the texts of the 1916 and 1958 versions do not vary in any substantial way through these passages. Jung instructs that the patient contact the affect and record the fantasies and associations that emerge. was that through imagery we can retrieve information from the unconscious. by setting off a kind of “chain-reaction” association process. a picture of the contents and tendencies of the unconscious that were massed together in the depression. It is likely that the core concepts of imaginal psychology emerged directly from Jung’s own descent into the unconscious. the elaboration of the mood is. namely the affect. . Since the depression was not manufactured by the conscious mind but is an unwelcome intrusion from the unconscious. (1957/1960. symbols. Jung imagined that through this process unconscious contents became more powerful and moved closer to consciousness. the images would be viviﬁed and emerge into the realm of consciousness where they would begin to prompt a shift: The whole procedure is a kind of enrichment and clariﬁcation of the affect. it creates a new situation. Jung’s premise. becoming at the same time more impressive and more understandable. as being involved in pulling one in a purposeful way. sinking himself in it without reserve and noting down on paper all the fantasies and other associations that come up.
. 82) The idea is to help the patient produce conscious representations (pictures. p. Fantasy must be allowed the freest possible play. explored in greater depth in his other writings. following them wherever they may lead: He must make himself as conscious as possible of the mood he is in. . As a way to obtain direction from the symptom. . This work by itself can have a favourable and vitalizing inﬂuence. either concretely or symbolically. whereby the affect and its contents are brought nearer to consciousness. thanks to the assistance and co-operation of the conscious mind. yet not in such a manner that it leaves the orbit of its object. He felt that by giving them psychic energy. which reproduces the content of the depression in some way. images. we can surmise that this aspect of Jung’s thinking was essentially formed in 1916. Out of this preoccupation with the object there comes a more or less complete expression of the mood. This section of the paper introduces Jung’s seminal thinking on the fantasy-making capacity of the psyche and represents his leap into imaginal psychology. Only then can the symptom be seen constructively. or associations) of unconscious contents that underlie the mood.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay
23
symptom or emotional state.

(1957/1960. The two compensate for each other and an overreliance on one will give a skewed result: One tendency seems to be the regulating principle of the other. visualization. Jung was also aware that each individual is different in the way that the unconscious might be contacted. p. This revision conﬁrms how meaning became a more integral part of the transcendent function to Jung over time. In the way of understanding. 84). i. He identiﬁes “two main tendencies” that emerge: the “way of creative formulation” and the “way of understanding” (1957/1960. and “there is an intense struggle to understand the meaning of the unconscious product” (p.24
The Transcendent Function
This is the beginning of the transcendent function.. the individual tends to respond in a more intellectual way. we could say that aesthetic formulation needs understanding of the meaning. catalyze the transcendent function. Jung describes the person as engaging in an “intensive. one responds in an intuitive or artistic way. p. One can speculate that the revision was made to emphasize the transformational quality of the transcendent function. all depending on what prompts imagery most effectively. In the way of creative formulation. Utilizing Unconscious Material: Creative Formulation and Understanding Jung next discusses how one deals with the unconscious material prompted by active imagination. Thus he emphasized that active imagination might take different form for different individuals. and understanding needs aesthetic
. 19). Interestingly. of the collaboration of conscious and unconscious data. So far as it is possible at this stage to draw more general conclusions. The use of techniques other than speaking for evoking unconscious material came from Jung’s own experiences and remains an important part of Jungian work today. He advocated the use of drawing. 84). the sentence relating that a “new situation” was not part of the 1916 version. Experience bears out this formula. Jung stresses that to fully engage unconscious material. painting. imaginal dialogue. one must seek to engage both the creative/aesthetic and the intellectual/understanding tendencies. “meaning” did not appear in the 1916 version. Though the 1916 and 1958 versions are similar through these passages. clay work. intellectual analysis whereby the motifs of the unconscious material are more or less intensively abstracted into ideas” (1957. processing the material by generating aesthetic motifs. p. can act as a mediator to bring unconscious imagery into dialogue with consciousness.e. and even movements. The transcendent function. in turn. 82) Active imagination is used to coax material from the unconscious toward the threshold of consciousness and. Rather. both are bound together in a compensatory relationship. in a sense.

Relation of Ego to Unconscious: Bringing Together the Opposites After carefully laying the groundwork. 87) This passage is quite important. the question arises as to how the ego will relate to this position. one wonders how he can possibly bring them together. and aesthetics. It is the ﬁrst time in this essay that Jung uses the phrase “the bringing together of opposites. symbolism.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay formulation. Indeed. (1957/1960. As will be discussed further in chapter 3. he now speaks in terms of “bringing together of opposites for production of a third. After watching Jung meticulously develop the seemingly irreconcilable likenesses of the omnipresent.6 After formulating the second phase of the transcendent function. that is. the bringing together of opposites for the production of a third: the transcendent function. 85)
25
Dealing with unconscious material is an exercise that requires both understanding and analysis. on the one hand. the concepts of the “opposites” and the transcendent function yielding the “third” emerged strongly in several works between 1916 and 1958. compensatory. neither the word “opposites” or “third” appears in the 1916 version. the bringing together of the opposites for the production of the third (the ﬁrst
. p. 69). if there were an alternation of creation and understanding” (p. and creation. Once the imagery. the conscious mind must interact with them. and to the transcendent function as arising from “the union of conscious and unconscious contents” (p. and affect of the unconscious material have been manifested. and how the ego and the unconscious are to come to terms.” Whereas earlier in the paper. This is the second and more important stage of the procedure. Jung referred to the unconscious as “compensatory or complementary” (p. 86). the entire passage quoted above was added by Jung in 1958. deﬁnite. intuition. on the other.5 “The ideal case would be if these two aspects could exist side by side or rhythmically succeed each other. He does so with the metaphor of a coming to terms of two antithetical positions out of which emerges “a third”: Once the unconscious content has been given form and the meaning of the formulation is understood. sufﬁce it for now to say that Jung’s theory of the opposites has become the subject of some debate and disagreement in the Jungian community. 69) to consciousness. neither by itself is sufﬁcient. overdeveloped nature of consciousness. imagistic nature of the unconscious and the directed. p. The two supplement each other to form the transcendent function. Though we will revisit these themes in greater detail later. (1957/1960.” Signiﬁcantly. Jung now makes the move into the core of the transcendent function.

but the unconscious must be allowed to have its say too. Jung does not advocate the domination of consciousness by the unconscious but rather an equal partnership between the two. not only is the standpoint of the ego justiﬁed.26
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
being the emergence of the unconscious material). Jung adds another critical component. Jung says this is crucial because of the danger of the ego being overwhelmed by the unconscious. each of whom gives the other credit for a valid argument and considers it worth while to modify the conﬂicting standpoints by means of thorough comparison and discussion or else to distinguish them clearly from one another. so the rediscovered unconscious often has a really dangerous effect on the ego. . 87). (pp. The opposites of consciousness and the unconscious are brought together to come to terms with one another. Though it may seem somewhat counterintuitive given the importance of the unconscious in Jung’s psychology. This amounts to a very necessary warning: for just as the conscious mind of civilized man has a restrictive effect on the unconscious. The ego takes the lead. It is exactly as if a dialogue were taking place between two human beings with equal rights. He admonishes that just as it is imperative that the unconscious not be subverted by the directedness of consciousness. Jung envisions a dialogue in which both consciousness and the unconscious have an equal say: Thus. Despite all his work with the unconscious. but the ego” (1957/1960. 88–89) The dialogue analogy is critical to Jung’s conception of the transcendent function which he sees as a kind of information exchange between two equal
. he states categorically that it is the conscious ego that must control this stage: “At this stage it is no longer the unconscious that takes the lead. p. it is equally important that the ego not be overcome by the unconscious: The position of the ego must be maintained as being of equal value to the counter-position of the unconscious. so to speak. . (1957/1960. In the same way that the ego suppressed the unconscious before. and vice versa. There is a danger of the ego losing its head. a liberated unconscious can thrust the ego aside and overwhelm it. pp. Final Result: Dialogue Creating Emergence of the Third With both the unconscious material having been acquired and the conscious ego fully engaged. in coming to terms with the unconscious. 87–88) This material is critical. but the unconscious is granted the same authority. . the transcendent function culminates in a kind of conversation between the two.

a living birth that leads to a new level of being. instinctive way. 90) This important quote is instructive in several critical ways not the least of which is its substantial variation from the 1916 version. A comparison follows: [The transcendent function lies between the conscious and the unconscious standpoint and is a living phenomenon. The transcendent function manifests itself as a quality of conjoined opposites. third thing—not a logical stillbirth in accordance with the principle tertium non datur but a movement out of the suspension between opposites. A further conceptual leap is made as Jung analogizes between the ability to dialogue with the “other” intrapsychically (via the transcendent function) and interpersonally (in relationships). out of which ﬂows some new situation or thing. a new situation.
. now labeled by Jung as opposites. The fact that the 1916 and 1958 versions are substantially similar through these passages indicates that the colloquy metaphor was elemental to the transcendent function from the moment it was conceived and remained so.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay
27
entities. a way of life. he denies the “other” within himself the right to exist—and vice versa. (1957/1960. p. if he were to live in a completely unconscious. 89) In essence. It is an individual-collective phenomenon which in principle agrees with the direction of life which anyone would follow. which partly conforms with the unconscious as well as the conscious and partly does not. p. The confrontation of the two positions generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living. (1957/1960. Jung is telling us that the ability to dialogue with both the outer and inner other are key to his concepts of individuation and psychological well-being. to the degree that he does not admit the validity of the other person. For. So long as these are kept apart—naturally for the purpose of avoiding conﬂict—they do not function and remain inert. The shuttling to and fro of arguments and affects represents the transcendent function of opposites. Jung ﬁnally arrives at the ultimate statement of the transcendent function which incorporates the idea of an exchange between consciousness and the unconscious. He underscores that the inability to listen to others will inhibit the ability to listen to the intraphysic other. The capacity for inner dialogue is a touchstone for outer objectivity. and the inability to dialogue with the unconscious will impede human relationships: Everyone who proposes to come to terms with himself must reckon with this basic problem.

that psychic life is comprised of a rhythmic movement between the differentiated. Finally. It reﬂects the notion.” He elaborates in the next paragraph where he states that the presence of unintegrated opposites indicates a loss of consciousness. The change in language underscores Jung’s belief that the conscious and unconscious positions represent antithetical perspectives. Jung’s 1958 revision labels the product of the transcendent function a “living. 90).7 A second crucial addition to this important paragraph is Jung’s use of the phrase. personal mode of consciousness and the undifferentiated. a theme we will revisit later and one that was not present in the original essay.28
The Transcendent Function
This explains why primitive man so often appears as the symbol for the transcendent function. One can however go forwards and through psychological development again reach nature. 23). third thing” and a “living birth that leads to a new level of being. the “transcendent function of the opposites [italics added]” (1957/1960. Jung shows us here that dealing with and resolving opposites is central to his idea of individuation and wholeness. later expressed by Jung and others. a new situation. a living birth that leads to a new level of being. 90). As can be seen. third thing—not a logical stillbirth in accordance with the principle tertium non datur but a movement out of the suspension between opposites. the original essay was devoid of the phrase “shuttling to and fro.” and of the analogy to the “conjoined opposites.” of the allusion to “living birth that leads to a new level of being. a new situation” (p. In the 1958 version. The confrontation of the two positions generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living. subjective. third thing. p. but this time consciously taking account of instinct] <The shuttling to and fro of arguments and affects represents the transcendent function of opposites. a new situation. a way of life” (1957. the later version makes it clear that something new and unknown emerges.” of the reference to the “opposites. p. objective. Jung calls the result of the interaction between consciousness and the unconscious a “living. So long as these are kept apart—naturally for the purpose of avoiding conﬂict—they do not function and remain inert. He reinforces this position by calling the interaction between the two a “confrontation” and by concluding that the transcendent function “manifests itself as a quality of conjoined opposites. imagistic state of the unconscious.
. Back to nature in Rousseau’s sense is impossible and would only be a futile regression.” Though the 1916 version called the transcendent function “a living phenomenon. The transcendent function manifests itself as a quality of conjoined opposites.” Jung’s addition of the expression “shuttling to and fro” gives a sense of constant interplay or rhythm between the conscious and unconscious parts of psyche. This last aspect is perhaps the most signiﬁcant.

p. perseverance.Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay
29
For the ﬁrst time in his writing. Everything takes part in the discussion. something more than a mixture of or compromise between the two. and of breaking a dependence which is often felt as humiliating. 91)
. Jung’s concluding remark. Jung gives voice to a phenomenon that has been discussed in various terms ever since by depth psychologists: the idea of something new. there may yet be a lack of courage and self-conﬁdence. Jung asserts that the interaction between consciousness and unconscious yields something new and different. or—to be more accurate—could be widened if it took the trouble to integrate them. and effort on the part of the individual: “Even if there is sufﬁcient intelligence to understand the procedure. it takes courage. even if only fragments become conscious. a concept that is at odds with a purely “natural” transcendent function. missing from the 1916 version. a third thing that transforms consciousness. or one is too lazy. 91) But Jung cautions us that the transcendent function is not an automatic thing. to make an effort” (1957/ 1960. Here. Consciousness is continually widened through the confrontation with previously unconscious contents. Jung sees the transcendent function as something that can be affected by a person’s willingness and courage. also not included in the 1916 essay. indicates both the way an individual can produce the transcendent function and how the transcendent function is integral to the individuation process: Where the necessary premises exist. As the process of coming to terms with the counter-position has a total character. Closing Passages: Liberation and the Courage to be Oneself The ﬁnal paragraph of the essay. (1957/1960. p. the transcendent function not only forms a valuable addition to psychotherapeutic treatment. indeed in depth psychology. p. Jung says that the process of dealing with the counter-position of the unconscious implicates the entire psyche and that ultimately it expands consciousness. It is a way of attaining liberation by one’s own efforts and of ﬁnding the courage to be oneself. but gives the patient the inestimable advantage of assisting the analyst on his own resources. a third. This raises an important response to the notion that the transcendent function is an innate psychic process. ﬁnishes where the essay starts: by paying homage to the importance of the unconscious to psychological health. emerging from the holding of opposing or different forces. nothing is excluded. at least. (1957/1960. or too cowardly. mentally and morally. 91).

. Jung’s writing of “The Transcendent Function” in 1916 was both a formative event in the development of his psychology and. third thing. The 1916 writing also enunciated the concept of a dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious. The 1958 revisions evidence three primary developments in Jung’s thinking: the greater centrality of the opposites. the concept of the transcendent function was discussed and developed further throughout Jung’s works. and the creation of a living.
SYNTHESIS: THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AS REFLECTED IN THE ESSAY Coming on the heels of Jung’s own confrontation with the disturbing forces of the unconscious that followed his break with Freud. and its relationship with other Jungian concepts. and its synthetic nature. undoubtedly. and individuation) clearly established the outlines of his thinking about the omnipresence of the unconscious. Together. which partly conforms with the unconscious as well as the conscious and partly does not” (p. Left to be further explored in Jung’s other works are important questions about the operation of the transcendent function. 23). a new level of being. Having begun the essay with a discussion of how the unconscious complements and compensates for the directed processes of the conscious. the two versions of the essay give us a basic overview of Jung’s view of the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious and the dialogue that occurs between them to produce an integration. the increased emphasis on meaning and purpose. a new level of consciousness along the path toward meaning and purpose. a way of life. its compensatory relationship to consciousness. While the original essay literally sat in a drawer. the archetypes. a description of his own personal experience. letters. We now turn to that exploration. and seminars until the 1916 writing was ﬁnally published in 1957 and then immediately revised by Jung for inclusion in the Collected Works. the Self. Jung brings the reader full circle. it described the transcendent function that “lies between the conscious and the unconscious standpoint and is a living phenomenon. he ﬁnishes by exhorting the reader that the transcendent function allows one to bring consciousness and the unconscious together to attain liberation and ﬁnd the courage to be oneself. Even that early version (written prior to any of Jung’s works on the collective unconscious. Finally.30
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
Thus. the way in which it prompts psychological growth.

four letters. Jung refers to or discusses the transcendent function in eight written works. and “The Psychology of the Unconscious Processes. Such quandaries may be inherent in the explication of a process like the transcendent function that attempts to explain something as inherently inexplicable as the transformation of consciousness itself. All of the references are listed in Appendix B together with the pages surrounding each reference to help the reader understand its context.CHAPTER THREE
TRACING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION THROUGH JUNG’S WORKS
“The Transcendent Function” was by no means Jung’s full examination of the concept. they raise almost as many questions as they answer. the synthetic view of psyche. was later revised to become “Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (1928/1953). the essay left unanswered important questions: How exactly does the transcendent function work? How are fantasy and symbol implicated? Does the transcendent function operate on its own or can it be prompted? What changed for Jung between 1916 and 1958 to make the theory of the opposites so much more prevalent in his thinking? How does the transcendent function interact with Jung’s concepts of psychological transformation. his other works evidence contradictions and ambiguities. The task is formidable. Paradoxically. and individuation? What is its relationship with other Jungian structures such as the Self and the archetypes? The answers to these questions can be extracted from the rich mines of Jung’s other works. more detailed yet somehow more difﬁcult to fully apprehend. Two of the eight written works were written within a year of the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function”: “The Structure of the Unconscious” (1916/1953). This chapter undertakes to address these issues by analyzing Jung’s references to the transcendent function in his other writings and works.” 31
. and ﬁve seminars. written in 1916. Despite Jung’s efforts to explain the transcendent function further and to draw connections between it and other concepts. Indeed. what emerges is a picture of the transcendent function that is more perspicuous and at the same time ambiguous.

Second. It is in these three works that Jung discusses the transcendent function most extensively. Each reference to the transcendent function is categorized as to theme. Following is an explication of the themes and the underlying references to the transcendent function. a straight line cannot accurately reﬂect the relationship between and among these concepts. because Jung both wrote papers that remained unpublished for long periods of time and made multiple revisions to works. By jumping onto this fascinating web of ideas. Jung mentions the transcendent function in ﬁve public seminars.1 In addition. then all references to each theme are analyzed to ascertain Jung’s thinking about the relationship between that theme and the transcendent function. each ﬂows from. Instead. A third. Rather. making it difﬁcult to know when he wrote speciﬁc passages.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF REFERENCES TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION There are a number of ways one could review the extensive references to the transcendent function. Five other written works make less extensive reference to the concept. and relates to the others. Jung’s references to the transcendent function give us insight into the questions posed above. Finally. a thematic approach has been adopted. One method would be to analyze the references chronologically. Thus. this will not be a linear progression. was later revised to become “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1953). attempting to understand how the concept developed in Jung’s thinking. Two points should be kept in mind.2 references that give fascinating texture to the more formal discussions in his written works. The Opposites: The Source and Development of Jung’s Thinking One can see directly from a reading of the essay that bears its name that the transcendent function implicates the concept of the opposites. Psychological Types (1921/1971). Jung mentions or discusses the concept in four letters. First. Such a task would be difﬁcult. Together. if not impossible.3 giving further rich relief to his thinking as he responds to the questions of colleagues and students. each of these topics is extensive and the treatment here is not intended to be exhaustive.32
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written in 1917. It reveals that the transcendent function is implicated in or underlies key concepts in Jung’s paradigm. and thus will avoid attempting to reduce it to some ﬁnal explanation. implicates. indeed. was written within ﬁve years. The idea that
. This methodology proves fortuitous because it reveals an interwoven tapestry of Jungian ideas with the transcendent function at or near the center. the aim is to sketch a topographical map of the Jungian terrain in which the transcendent function resides to get a sense of the role it plays in Jung’s psychology. we will interact with it without fear of getting caught up or stuck. imagine Jung’s ideas as a web with each idea inextricably intertwined with the others.

Goethe. 102).
. Though Jung never explicitly acknowledged the source of his theory (Samuels. 1997.. 1986. “An acquaintance with the principle of opposition is essential to an understanding of [ Jung’s] point of view” because it lies “at the root of many of his hypotheses” (Samuels. 170). “the opposites are the ineradicable and indispensable pre-conditions to all psychic life” (1955–1956/1963. Jung did not claim that he was the ﬁrst to discuss the idea of the opposites in the human psyche.e. (1943/1953. the analogy between Jung’s opposites and Hegel’s dialectical model (i. Shorter.Tracing the Transcendent Function
33
psychological experience is profoundly affected by a struggle between opposites is at the heart of the Jungian paradigm. and Plaut. Shorter. Others who contributed to Jung’s conception of the opposites included Kant. He noted that it went back at least as far as the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. also contributed to Jung’s thinking (Frattaroli. 22). 1986. 73): Old Heraclitus . Near the end of his life Jung himself stated. p. No comprehensive understanding of the latter is possible without an exploration of former. and Nietzsche (Douglas. he eventually likened the law of psychic opposition to the ﬁrst law of thermodynamics: that all energy is a function of two opposing forces. meaning “being torn asunder into pairs of opposites” (1943/ 1953. 1997. p. Schiller. p. Here we explore how that shift took place and how it affected Jung’s thinking about the transcendent function. p. p. . thesis and antithesis) has not gone unnoticed. the conﬂicting combination of life and death instincts in every part of psychic life. 72) In addition to the inﬂuence of Heraclitus. Notably. a running contrariwise. 102). by which he meant that sooner or later everything runs into its opposite. discovered the most marvellous of all psychological laws: the regulative function of opposites. In fact. p. he came to see the opposites as akin to a law of nature. the transcendent function ﬂows from opposing forces in consciousness and the unconscious. Though Jung never referenced Hegel’s dialectical logic. . the idea of the opposites is the foundation upon which the ediﬁce of the transcendent function is constructed.5 Solomon (1992) compared the two models and even concluded that Jung’s transcendent function was directly analogous to Hegel’s synthesis. who enunciated the principle of enantiodromia. It has even been suggested that the opposites inherent in Freud’s dual-instinct theory. As we saw in chapter 2.”4 the strength and prevalence of that theory grew in his subsequent writings such that it became central to his psychology generally and to the transcendent function in particular. though the seeds for Jung’s thinking on the opposites are contained in the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function. 177). As one writer opines. p. He called it enantiodromia. and Plaut.

Jung’s early work on the opposites inherent in the individual and collective natures of psyche was followed by equally important work on the oppo-
. so certain functions or tendencies of the human mind are opposed. to the personal mental functions. without which there can be no current. nor explained rationally. above and below. 54). p. in wrestling with the distinctions between the personal and collective aspects of consciousness. Jung comments on the contradictory nature of the individual and collective parts of the human psyche and talks about their union using language that preﬁgures his later description of the transcendent function as “an irrational life-process” (1939/1959. the collective unconscious. nor understood. Their union is essentially an irrational life process that can . neither be brought about. certainly one of the earliest references to the opposites is in “The Structure of the Unconscious” (1916/1953). . 202) Jung came to believe that all psychic energy ﬂows from the tension of opposing forces: “There is no energy unless there is a tension of opposites” (1943/ 1953. p. which was originally written the same year as the ﬁrst version of “The Transcendent Function. and . Though it is difﬁcult to pinpoint where the theory ﬁrst emerged in Jung’s writings. but is also a social being.” There. earlier and later. so the human mind is not a self-contained and wholly individual phenomenon. etc. Every energetic phenomenon (and there is no phenomenon that is not energetic) consists of pairs of opposites: beginning and end. he comments on the opposition between personal and collective forces: Just as the individual is not merely a unique and separate being. hot and cold. p. its wellbeing depends on the natural cooperation of these two apparently contradictory sides. (p. cause and effect. . . . 289) Here we begin to see the weaving of the web of interrelated Jungian ideas: individual consciousness. 53). by their collective nature. or poles. since a current of energy presupposes two different states. He ultimately held that all life itself emerges from the opposites: “Life is born only of the spark of opposites” (p.34
The Transcendent Function
The concept of energy implies that of polarity. but is a collective one. 275) In the same work. and the dynamic opposition of the psyche and an irrational life process (the transcendent function) that brings the disparate elements together. (1916/1953. (1921/1971. And just as certain social functions or instincts are opposed to the egocentric interests of the individual. 289): The human psyche is both individual and collective. p.

26. it is in Psychological Types (1921/1971) that it is truly formed. this volume on the personality types is mandatory reading for anyone wishing truly to understand Jung’s theory of opposites and how the unconscious acts in a compensatory or opposing way to consciousness. leaning heavily on the work of Friedrich Schiller. Discussing the opposition of realism and nominalism. For its solution a third. however. There Jung. of ﬁnding any satisfactory. the division cannot be resolved by a discussion of the nominalist and realist arguments. Out of this history. subject and object. outlines the long history of duality between abstract idea and physical thing. ideas. p. and outer reality. the psychological equivalent of the realist. for the split is not a mere matter of some off-beat philosophy. and the introvert. the so-called opposition of realism and nominalism (p. The history that Jung presents of the duality between subject/object and idea/thing is critical to understanding his theory of the opposite nature of psychic processes and the emergence of the transcendent function. reconciling formula by pursuing the one or the other attitude. Jung posits two basic personality types (1921/1971. whose primary orientation is outward toward the object. Esse in intellectu lacks tangible reality. idea and thing. 54). thing. Introverts process the world around them with emphasis on form. thought and feeling. In what many consider Jung’s most important contribution to general psychology. whose primary orientation is away from the object and toward the subject (himself or herself ). but the daily repeated problem of his relation to himself and to the world. a late eighteenth-century German philosopher. And because this is basically the problem at issue. the mediating force between the conscious and unconscious. and his or her own psychological processes. esse in re lacks mind. subject. Idea and thing come together.Tracing the Transcendent Function
35
sites inherent in the relationship between conscious and unconscious that he ﬁrst broached in Psychological Types (1921/1971). mediating standpoint is needed [italics added]. idea. Jung uses language that is remarkably similar to his later description of the transcendent function: There is no possibility. feeling. in the human psyche. and inner reality. even if his mind could. And yet. p.6 The debate between realism and nominalism was about whether there is a fundamental duality between form and matter. inner and outer— an important theme in Western consciousness. the psychological equivalent of the nominalist. therefore. Though we see the beginnings of Jung’s thinking about the opposites in the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function” (1957) and in “The Structure of the Unconscious” (1916/1953).
. see also 1943/1953. In his discussion of introversion and extroversion. 4): the extrovert. man cannot remain thus divided. thought. object. whereas extroverts use matter. Jung introduces key concepts that anticipate his formulation of the transcendent function.

7 It has been argued that the latter half of the twentieth century ushered in the beginnings of a paradigm shift away from dualistic. 1975. The ancient Greeks gave intellectual birth to the opposites in Western civilization when the realists and nominalists ﬁrst distinguished idea from thing. Thus.g. pp. we begin to see ideas fundamental to Jung’s psychology: psyche (or soul) as the “third. 51-52) In this profoundly important passage. 170). which are the two indispensable constituents of living reality. Many have critiqued Jung’s foundational reliance on the psychic dynamism of the opposites as excessive and even theoretically wrong. it is the mother of all possibilities where. either/or. (1921/1971. pre-eminently the creative activity from which the answers to all answerable questions come. 1991. Clearly. e.” Jung tells us here that the human psyche. Only through the speciﬁc vital activity of the psyche does the senseimpression attain that intensity. collective aspects of the psyche that Jung conceived as opposites in his 1916 writing of “The Structure of the Unconscious” (1916/1953) and (2) the fundamental opposites of idea and thing. 444). who saw an emerging autonomous self as being fundamentally distinct from an objective external world that it seeks to understand. Jung’s theory of the opposites constitutes the psychological manifestation of two millennia of dualistic thinking in Western consciousness. can be “joined together in living union. . oppositional thinking into a new way of conceiving humanity. . the inner and outer worlds are joined together in living union. . is able somehow to combine the seemingly opposite forces of idea and thing to create a third. indeed consciousness. others with the movement from monism and dualism to polytheism (see. Living reality is the product of neither of the actual. that Jung identiﬁed in Psychological Types (1921/1971) based on the ancient history of the debate between realism and nominalism. introvert and extrovert. inner from outer. thought and feeling. idea and thing. and the idea that effective force. It is. p. mediating standpoint” or terrain upon which the fundamental opposite worlds of inner and outer. . p. through esse in anima. . living reality. inner and outer. subject from object.36
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which holds the balance between them. this language preﬁgures Jung’s formulation of the transcendent function. Seen from a broad historical perspective. psychology.8
. and whose thinking was presaged in earlier historical developments. objective behavior of things nor of the formulated idea exclusively. . Hillman. The opposites are also alive and well in the ideas of Descartes.. subject and object. like all psychological opposites. through its creative forces. Some have connected this shift to a “reintegration of the repressed feminine” (Tarnas. we see in two profound dualities the roots of Jung’s foundational ideas on the dynamic opposition of the psyche: (1) the personal vs. but rather of the combination of both in the living psychological process.

the mechanism through which consciousness and the unconscious dialogue. Though Jung had already formulated some of his ideas on the dynamic opposition of the psyche when he wrote the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function. one can see why the transcendent function. Plato. the thinking of Heraclitus. and each dynamically opposed the other in a kind of psychic debate. arose from the tension of the opposites. is that the inferior function is driven into the unconscious (p. 72) The result.” those ideas are further developed in a very extensive chapter 2 of Psychological Types (1921/1971). according to Jung.) only captures part of Jung’s view of psyche. Jung’s theory of opposites is a key concept closely related to the transcendent function.. etc. indeed all life itself. clearly affected Jung in a profound way. what is more he identiﬁes himself with this function and denies the relevance of the other inferior functions. Given this premise. The Dynamic Opposition of Consciousness and the Unconscious The concept that psychic life is divided into countless pairs of opposites (e. Eventually. Jung came to believe that all psychological life. There. either extroversion or introversion (p. Schiller. in an extensive discussion of Schiller’s ideas on the “separation of the two functions” (p. He further believed that one member of each pair resided in consciousness and the other in the unconscious. is so important to Jungian thought. inner/outer. as did his seminal ideas about typology. Thus. form and matter. light/dark. and even Freud in formulating his concept of the opposites as the source of all psychic energy. and others about the dualities between idea and thing. Jung argues that (1) each person is predisposed toward a dominant function in consciousness. Man no longer appears as man in our collective culture: he is merely represented by a function. life/death.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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In any event. 75). but his one differentiated function. cultural demands impel a differentiation of psychic functions and destroy the wholeness of the individual for the sake of collective: It is not man who counts. subject and object.g. love/hate. and assimilated. (p. idea/thing. and (2) that that predisposition is then further developed or exaggerated by “cultural demands” so that the person can be of greater utility to the collective (p. Jung bemoaned. Goethe. Kant. inner and outer. He posited that for every perspective held in consciousness. thereby creating a psychic
. 75). 69). Though he gives us no ﬁrm indication of the ultimate source of his theory. understood. an opposite one in the unconscious sought to be heard. Jung’s early work on the interplay between the personal and collective aspects of the psyche necessarily implicated the idea of opposites. Nietzsche. good/bad. Jung also likely drew from the ideas of Hegel. 74) where it remains trapped.

. 500).
. . p. Jung refers to “these unconscious compensations” (1939/1958. 90). 80). Near the end of the discussion about Schiller. undirected unconscious. In “The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (1928/ 1953).38
The Transcendent Function
injury: “so the enslavement of the inferior functions is an ever-bleeding wound in the psyche of modern man” (p. Jung’s ideas about the dynamic opposition of consciousness and the unconscious are also reﬂected in other writings that discuss the transcendent function. 81). and the “manifestation of the energy that springs from the tension of the opposites” (1943/1953. p. Elsewhere. the “mutual confrontation of the opposites” (1939/ 1958. the dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious has been variously called “the transcendent function of the opposites” (1957/1960. Jung says: “This continual process of getting to know the counterposition in the unconscious I have called the ‘transcendent function’” (p. This culturally mandated differentiation of functions enhances humanity’s ability to operate as a collective entity but polarizes the functions in the individual. These opposites in consciousness and the unconscious are the raw materials out of which the transcendent function is forged. 488). 220). a combined function of conscious and unconscious elements” (p. directed faculties of consciousness is being compensated for or opposed by a counter-position in the irrational. In Mysterium Coniunctionis (1955–1956/1963). “spontaneous unconscious compensation” (p. . 115). notes the “sharp cleavages and antagonisms between conscious and unconscious” (p. 489). Jung quotes Schiller: “‘There was no other way of developing the manifold capabilities of man than by placing them in opposition to one another’” (1921/1971. and concludes by referring to the transcendent function as the “fusion . All of these references evidence this fundamental concept in Jung’s metapsychology: consciousness and the unconscious stand in dynamic opposition to one another. Whatever is being held in the rational. 690). 72). Jung alludes to the “two opposing ‘realities. and “cooperation of conscious reasoning and the data of the unconscious” (1955. p. p. p. by which I mean . . 200). of the conscious with the unconscious” (p. 219). of the differentiated with the inferior functions. Jung refers to the transcendent function as “bridging the yawning gulf between conscious and unconscious” and describes it as “a natural process. p. Indeed.’ the world of the conscious and the world of the unconscious” (p. 218). and the latter is constantly pushing against the former to reach an accommodation. 73). Jung details for the ﬁrst time his seminal ideas about how the opposites can only be mediated through a symbol that emerges from the fantasy-making capacity of the psyche and concludes: “This function of mediation between the opposites I have termed the transcendent function. In “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1953). a manifestation of the energy that springs from the tension of opposites” (p.

at bottom it is always a matter of a consciousness lost and obstinately stuck in one-sidedness. As Jung stated in Psychological Types. p. (1921/1971. confronted with the image of instinctive wholeness and freedom. though the opposites of consciousness and the unconscious are foundational to much of Jung’s psychology. capable of uniting the opposites” (1943/1953. in one writing Jung states ﬂatly that “conscious and unconscious are not necessarily in opposition to one another. or at least ambiguity. In these and other places. he is not entirely consistent on the subject. The time will come when the division in the inner man must be abolished. So long as psychic material remains split between consciousness and the unconscious. since the suppressed inferior functions cannot be indeﬁnitely excluded from participating in our life and development. 501. . In fact. who. p. compensating and correcting our one-sidedness. there are two areas of contradiction. 223.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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The ﬁnal conceptual move in understanding Jung’s theory of the opposites is that the opposites must be united. we remain split psychologically. Jung sometimes refers to the unconscious as complementary to rather than in opposition to consciousness (see. p. 5). 109). 1939/1959. p. Hence Jung labeled the transcendent function as that which allows “mediation between the opposites” (1921/1971. on the one hand. e. First. in order that the undeveloped may be granted an opportunity to live. it is the instrumentality through which the opposites are reconciled and through which growth emerges. unwhole and unrealized: In whatever form the opposites appear in the individual. (1957/ 1960. 289). on the other. This presents a picture of the anthropoid and archaic man with. squelching the inferior functions results in a kind of psychological division: This one-sided development must inevitably lead to a reaction. 690).. . but complement one another to form a totality” (1928/1953. p. that which “progressively unites the opposites” (1955. p. 1939/1958. 90) It is from emphasis on the union of the opposites that the importance of the transcendent function ﬂows. we are deprived of essential psychological resources. emerges from the darkness and shows us how and where we have deviated from the basic pattern and crippled ourselves psychically. as discussed in chapter 2. p. p. his often misunderstood world of spiritual ideas. “union of the opposites” (1928/1953. 74) Jung argues that to the extent the opposites remain separated. In fact. 177).g. p. p.
. his supposedly uninhibited world of instinct and. 115). 1957. Surprisingly. and the “mode of apprehension .

for example. values of which we are clearly conscious. 395–96) Samuels (1985) cites other writers who criticize Jung’s theory of opposites as too encompassing or theoretically ﬂawed. the concept is simply too global” (p. they are not necessarily opposite. . The missing quality is not necessarily an “opposite” one. . A quick review of the index to Jung’s collected works reveals count-
. In one place. offers a view. in talking about the power of the child archetype on adults. He concludes. Jung says. 1928/1953. Samuels (1985) pointed out that the perception of psychic functioning in terms of opposites ignores the concurrent mutual support. that opposites are the basis of all psychic energy. and offers a notion that seems intuitively correct: psyche is comprised of disparate. a few are instructive here. complementarity.40
The Transcendent Function
Jung essentially disagrees with his own assertion. 149–50). 114). 1941/1959. indeed criticism of. Yet in many key passages about the opposites. (pp. in order to enhance the wholeness and cohesiveness of the personality. . The transcendent function is founded on opposites located one in consciousness and one in the unconscious. A second inconsistency in Jung’s theory of the opposites concerns their location. Though these latter descriptions of the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious do not represent the preponderance of Jung’s writings. Some post-Jungians have opined that his extreme expressions of the opposites reﬂect more a feature of Jung’s personal psychology than a universal theory of psychology. states or elements whose interaction forms a whole. Corbett (1992). This movement is motivated by a need to join with whatever is missing from ourselves. . A different metaphor is needed to describe the movement of the unconscious into consciousness. “The conﬂict [between the dependence of a child and its desire to be independent] is not to be overcome by that conscious mind remaining caught between the opposites” ( Jung. they anticipate what is a widely held question about. Though there are numerous examples of Jung’s use of the opposites in this latter sense. Elsewhere. “Concentration on the opposites leads to neglect of slight gradations and subtle transitions of difference. but not necessarily opposite. . Jung discusses the struggles humanity has with pairs of moral values such as megalomania/inferiority and good/evil ( Jung. Others assert that though psyche manifests multiple and dissimilar elements. 168). Jung makes reference to opposites both of which are fully available to the conscious mind. p. it is not about opposites but about psychological parts that are missing: Many post-Jungian writers have questioned the notion that the psyche is necessarily structured in sets of opposites. Jung’s theory of opposites. incremental gradations of change and subtle transitions found within the psyche. that though the transcendent function is a drive to unify and integrate. . pp.

Finally. opposites (or even more broadly. indeed repeated illustrations. cold/warm. Moving away from the Jungian paradigm. same/different) that clearly manifest in the conscious mind. but he often contradicts himself and gives clear examples where the opposites to which he refers are clearly extant in the conscious mind alone. while the ego is forced to acknowledge its absolute participation in both. Put another way. they must ﬁrst face one another in the fullest conscious opposition [italics added]. oppose. light/heavy. attitudes. in discussing the role of the symbol in the operation of the transcendent function. compensations and complements) are probably everywhere: in the conscious mind.. good/evil. were it entirely unconscious). body/mind. This necessarily entails a violent disunion with oneself. between consciousness and the unconscious. speciﬁcally in the conscious ego: For this collaboration of opposing states to be possible at all. Once it becomes distressing in some conscious way. (p. an affect. is that in practice the unconscious opposite is often (some might say
. however. or rise to consciousness. feelings. In addition. one could probably imagine thoughts. Jung’s thesis that the unconscious compensates for or opposes consciousness feels accurate. if the one of the pair were located entirely in the unconscious (i. Its presence must manifest in some conscious way—as an inkling of a conscious attitude. Jung felt that the opposition comes primarily from the unconscious. Considering the transcendent function in any way except a purely abstract. In fact. of opposites existing purely in the conscious mind (in addition to those that face each other across the boundary between both consciousness and unconscious) again makes intuitive sense. some distress. then the opposites are in play and the transcendent function can operate upon them. or an illness—before it becomes an issue. requires us to acknowledge that it must include opposites in consciousness as well as those in both consciousness and the unconscious. Still.g. some feeling of dis-ease. it would never compensate. a dream. theoretical model. or beliefs residing in the unconscious that are also implicated. above/below. What we add here. more balanced view (synthesis). a symptom. for every conscious thought or attitude. one can probably locate several states in the conscious mind that are opposite or compensatory to or at least inform that thought or attitude. and also in pairs in the unconscious. Jung (1921/1971) describes how conscious and unconscious states can come into dialogue. 478) Jung’s acknowledgment. and he refers to the opposites in consciousness. birth/ death. Indeed.e. ﬁre/water. ascent/descent. that is the essence of Hegel’s dialectic model: the constant posing of the opposite viewpoint (antithesis) as a counterbalance to the proposition being considered (thesis) yields the emergence of a reconciled.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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less references to pairs of opposites (e.. to the point where thesis and antithesis negate one another. right/wrong.

fantasy and symbol became critical to Jung’s thinking about the transcendent function and to the psychological well-being it promotes. This point also clears up the confusion created when. Where does this leave us regarding Jung’s theory of the opposites? In most of his writings Jung suggests that consciousness and the unconscious are in dynamic opposition to one another. . It was he who taught me psychic objectivity. an Egypto-Hellenistic pagan ﬁgure who appeared in his dreams and fantasies during the critical period after his break with Freud. the reality of the psyche. Jung acknowledged that opposites exist not only between consciousness and the unconscious but often ﬁnd manifestation entirely in consciousness. that each attitude or viewpoint in consciousness is mirrored by an opposing view in the unconscious. frequently. the transcendent function is referred to by post-Jungians in situations where the opposition being faced is wholly conscious. . but which produce themselves and have their own life. in Jung’s view of the opposites. To Jung. The Role of Fantasy and Symbol Jung’s arrival at the concepts of the dynamic opposition of consciousness and the unconscious and of the bringing together of the opposites for psychological wholeness set the stage for his innovative theories about the role of fantasy9 and symbol10 in the operation of the transcendent function. Second. From that hypothesis ﬂow the ideas that the separation of the opposites between consciousness and the unconscious results in a kind of psychological splitting and that wholeness requires a bringing together or reconciliation of the opposites. Jung says: Philemon and other ﬁgures of my fantasies brought home to me the crucial insight that there are things in the psyche which I do not produce. they are not always exactly opposite and indeed may reﬂect a kind of psychic multiplicity seeking some sort of stasis. therein lies the importance of the transcendent function. fantasy was not an abstract concept but a psychic reality by which he was personally affected in a profound way. Through him the distinction was clariﬁed between myself and the object of my thought. p.42
The Transcendent Function
almost always) manifested in various conscious ways in order to give notice of the conﬂict’s existence. First. Yet we have also unearthed two important inconsistencies. Jung hypothesized that opposites cannot be reconciled rationally but rather can be united only irrationally through fantasy and the symbol-producing capacities of the unconscious. or at least ambiguities. 183)
. . Philemon represented a force which was not myself. In describing the impact of Philemon. Thus. (1989c. contrary to his central assertion.

as much intuition as sensation. . pre-eminently. . It is. there can be no doubt about that. The only expression I can use for this activity is fantasy. Jung forcefully avowed the importance of fantasy: The scientiﬁc credo of our time has developed a superstitious phobia about fantasy. therefore. whether we give this something a good name or a bad. . seems to me the clearest expression of the speciﬁc activity of the psyche. because of its capacity to unite seemingly unlinkable opposites. p. Much of Jung’s formative work on the role of fantasy and symbol in the transcendent
. like all psychological opposites. It is something real. Fantasy is just as much feeling as thinking. fantasy is the “mother of all possibilities. it is difﬁcult to fully apprehend how radical they were when Jung advocated them. Something works behind the veil of fantastic images. p.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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Jung came to learn ﬁrsthand the innate capacity and enormous power of the psyche. 217) Beyond his general feeling that fantasy is a powerful and real force. Fantasy. Furthermore. it is the mother of all possibilities. And the fantasies of the unconscious work. Jung also speciﬁcally posited that in fantasy all opposites are joined: The psyche creates reality every day. Jung posited that through fantasy the unconscious produced symbols—images. . (1921/1971. is not inextricably bound up with the other psychic functions. Jung tells us. He maintained that fundamental opposites cannot be resolved by reason but only by fantasy and that in fantasy lies the nexus between all psychic functions. notions—that can be accessed by consciousness to produce the transcendent function and create psychological change. In the face of skepticism he was certain to receive from elsewhere in his professional circle. Symbol was equally important to Jung because he asserted that it was the mechanism through which fantasy made its journey from the unconscious to consciousness. . through fantasy.” a source of answers to the most difﬁcult questions. More than a whimsical landscape of imagination and imagery. where. motifs. But the real is what works. the creative activity from which the answers to all answerable questions come. 52) One can see from the language of this passage the profound belief Jung placed in the power of fantasy. (1928/1953. Jung conceived of fantasy as that terrain of psyche where the shackles of preconceived limits could be discarded and psyche could actually transform itself. . There is no psychic function that. the inner and outer worlds are joined together in union [italics added]. and for this reason its manifestations must be taken seriously. Because these ideas are well accepted in most quarters of depth psychology now.

an expression of both and of neither. activity.. something different from both opposites but standing as an expression of part of each of them. not reconcilable through rationality or reason. 1989. matter. . saw that opposites could not be reconciled without some sort of extraordinary psychic activity. and says that opposites can only be united irrationally: It is a pity that Schiller is so conditioned to . Chapter 2 is a detailed discussion of Schiller’s views. and inner processing) and extroversion (which gives primacy to sensation. by their very nature. look upon the cooperation of the two instincts as a “task of reason.44
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function is based on the ideas of Schiller as set forth in chapter 2 of Psychological Types. . As pointed out by Jung. 105) One can see in this quote important tones of the transcendent function: some new thing arising irrationally between the opposites. 104). . e. and something that can be created only through living. p. Schiller posits that the deadlock is best approached through psyche’s activity of thinking. (1921/1971. p. xv). or irrationally. opposites can be united only in the form of a compromise.
.g. All of these elements were subsequently incorporated by Jung into his expression of the transcendent function. 103). and outer processing). Though many recommend that the reader start with chapter 10. Jung urged that the reader “who really wants to understand” the work immerse himself in chapters 2 and 5 (1921/1971. 103).11 but that they can collaborate through a “reciprocal action between the two” (p. what he calls “purely a task of reason” (1921/ 1971. Schiller. In so doing. We can see here the inﬂuence Schiller’s writing may have had on Jung. However. . 77). he employs a Latin phrase that often accompanies his discussions of the transcendent function. it can only be created through living. together with Jung’s responses and elaborations. Hopke. 51). before Jung. p. Schiller’s “reciprocal action between the two” sounds the same timbre as Jung’s dialogue between the opposites of consciousness and the unconscious to create the transcendent function. Jung quotes Schiller as concluding that the two “can never be made one” (p. Jung and Schiller give different formulations of the nature of psychic activity necessary to break the impasse of the opposites. p. although different from both. tertium non datur. passivity. Such an expression cannot be contrived by reason. . which in essence means “there is no middle way” ( Jung. p. form. “General Description of the Types” (see. In practice.” for opposites are not to be united rationally: tertium non datur—that is precisely why they are called opposites. some new thing arising between them which. Jung takes strong exception to Schiller’s conclusion. about the opposition between introversion (which places emphasis on thought. 1943/1953. yet has the power to take up their energies in equal measure as an expression of both and of neither. arguing that opposites are.

is it possible that Schiller and Jung are in greater agreement than Jung realized or acknowledged? Both state that the tension of the opposites is the primary force and that the stalemate can only be broken through some reciprocal action (Schiller) or dialogue ( Jung) between the two. but rather can be accomplished only “irrationally. To put it another way. images. Once again. Jung acknowledges that it is. this position ﬂows from Jung’s own process and psychology. Is Jung overstating the disagreement? What may be most important is Jung’s perception that they disagreed. a task of reason. This is not to say that Jung was not enunciating an important and novel idea: that we should rely on the irrational and the unconscious rather than the reasonable and the conscious to propel psyche. Given this deﬁnition of irrational.” as asserted by Schiller. irrational thing that arises between the opposites is the symbol and that the symbol is generated by the fantasy-making capacity of psyche. But we know intuitively that there are both rational and irrational contents in consciousness and both as well in the unconscious. Jung goes on to say that the new. In addition. In any event. By reacting so strongly to the phrase “task of reason” and emphasizing the word “irrational. Citing Schiller’s notion that we can only unite the thinking (introverted) and sensing (extroverted) functions by being able to experience them at the same time. something can be irrational and also based in reason though it may be so complex as to surpass our reasoning powers. rationality. Jung explains that out of the experience of the opposites would ﬂow a symbol that can unite the opposites:
. and the nonlinear functions of psyche than he does in reason.” Jung articulates a position present throughout his works: that he places greater trust in fantasy. and directedness of the conscious mind.” Yet Jung’s own deﬁnition of “irrational” asserts that something irrational is not contrary to reason but beyond it. Yet his principle suffered from inconsistency around the role of ego and ambiguity about how reason might play into the process. Furthermore. at least partly. His bias in this direction is evident from the outset in his discussion of the onesidedness. so that it cannot be understood. symbol.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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We must pause here to explore another important area of ambiguity or inconsistency in Jung. p. deﬁniteness. isn’t Jung merely saying that the way psyche resolves opposites is beyond our comprehension? Schiller might very well agree with that while maintaining that psyche is still performing a task based upon reason. In other words. He takes pains to inform us that reconciliation of opposites is not “purely a task of reason. Jung implies that all rational things occur in consciousness and all irrational things occur in the unconscious. didn’t Jung tell us in “The Transcendent Function” that in coming to terms with the unconscious the “ego takes the lead” (1957/1960. 88)? By acknowledging that the ego takes the lead in the second phase of the transcendent function. and the directed functions.

in which the opposites merge. . . Notably. This is possible. thinking by sensing and sensing by thinking. . the play instinct. As we see from these critical passages. motifs. Through a discussion and extension of Schiller.e. i. symbol and fantasy. Jung calls the symbol the “object of the mediating function. Jung arrives at a central tenet of his psychology: fantasy activity in the unconscious generates symbols—images.
. . between thought/form/passivity and sensation/matter/activity. patterns—that allow the fusion of material that would otherwise remain polarized. . is fantasy activity which is creative and receptive at once. since no rational process can unite what are inherently separate opposites. (1921/1971. .” while Jung terms it “fantasy activity”: Schiller calls the symbol-creating function a third instinct. his individual way on which the Yea and Nay are united. Jung identiﬁes fantasy and the symbols that arise from it as the raw materials that fuel the engine of the transcendent function.. p. the symbol somehow carries pieces of both the opposites and becomes a mediating force between them. The third element. in which the opposites merge. (1921/1971. if a man were able to live both faculties or instincts at the same time. the object around which the mediating function operates. then. Schiller felt that the third instinct was the “play instinct. and that it hints only intuitively at its possible meaning. 106).” a description clearly analogous to the language he uses to describe the transcendent function in various other places. The essence of the symbol consists in the fact that it represents in itself something that is not wholly understandable. out of that experience . because the symbol is born not of a rational process. .46
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Thus. would be precisely a symbol in which the opposites are united. but stands between them and does justice to both their natures. But where does the symbol come from? Jung returns to Schiller and identiﬁes what Schiller calls a “third instinct” (1921/1971. . . 105–06) The symbol is explained here as emerging from the experience of the opposites. as the passage tells us. Jung identiﬁes fantasy as the symbol-creating function of psyche and describes it as the “third element.e. The object of the mediating function . pp. . but rather from a place that is not wholly understandable. In so doing. mere parlor tricks in other orientations. . a symbol would arise which would express his accomplished destiny. i.” that is. it bears no resemblance to the two opposing functions. The creation of a symbol is not a rational process.. are the building blocks of psychological growth and health in Jung’s psychology. . 106–07) Here. Thus. for a rational process could never produce an image that represents a content which is at its bottom incomprehensible. . pp.

. activates and forces to the surface. I say “can” advisedly. The will does not decide between the opposites. since it is a neutral region of the psyche where everything that is divided and antagonistic in consciousness ﬂows together into groupings. It would. . A full analysis follows the quote: The separation into pairs of opposites is entirely due to conscious differentiation. . Although it may frequently happen that the
. . In chapter 2. . which is entirely dependent on its content. therefore. is critical to a complete understanding of how Jung sees the symbol as uniting the opposites and producing the transcendent function. only consciousness can recognize the suitable and distinguish it from the unsuitable and worthless. The unconscious. This comes about . . we can now review the mechanics of the transcendent function. . man has as a further auxiliary in the unconscious. . . . though extensive. but remains in the unconscious just so long as the energic value of the conscious contents exceeds that of the unconscious symbol. Thus. besides the will. The constellated fantasy material contains images of the psychological development of the individuality in its successive states— a sort of preliminary sketch or representation of the onward way between the opposites. and it therefore sinks into the unconscious. then. . Under normal conditions.Tracing the Transcendent Function Operation of the Transcendent Function
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Having laid the groundwork with fantasy and symbol. Jung describes this process in two places in Psychological Types: in chapter 2 (“Schiller’s Ideas on the Type Problem”) and in chapter 11 (“Deﬁnitions”). that maternal womb of creative fantasy. . . . . be pointless to call upon consciousness to decide the conﬂict between the instincts. because the symbol does not of its own accord step into the breach. . . through a differentiation of the self [footnote omitted] from the opposites. creating the possibility for uniting the opposites and effecting psychological change. energy must be artiﬁcially supplied to the unconscious symbol in order to increase its value and bring it to consciousness. the disposable energy is withdrawn into the self. which is able at any time to fashion symbols in the natural process of elementary psychic activity. . he describes how the symbol emerges from fantasy activity and rises to consciousness. The libido becomes wholly objectless. This differentiation amounts to a detachment of libido from both sides. . it is no longer related to anything that could be a content of consciousness. symbols that can serve to determine the mediating will. but purely for the self. where it automatically takes possession of the waiting fantasy material. that is. The following. which it . therefore. might well be the authority we have to appeal to.

. But the determining of the will has repercussions on both sides. (1921/1971. or. The renewed conﬂict again demands the same treatment. as in mathematics. “sinks into the unconscious” where it re-
6. We can describe the multiple step process set forth by Jung in the following way: 1. it would “be pointless” to call upon consciousness to resolve them. “the symbol does not of its own accord step into the breach.
. these intuitions nevertheless contain a living power which can have a determining effect on the will. A symbol capable of uniting opposites is born in the unconscious through fantasy. .
8. 4. “in the natural process of elementary psychic activity.” The creation of the symbol creates the possibility but not the certainty of the symbol rising to consciousness. 113–15) This important quotation must be parsed to allow a more detailed understanding. so that after a while the opposites recover their strength.” for the resources to reconcile or unite the opposites. we also have creative fantasy. it “becomes wholly objectless” and. Since consciousness itself is what creates the opposites. an irrational.”13 Once withdrawn from the opposite poles into the Self. 9. “is withdrawn into the self. the libido has no object in consciousness upon which to focus.” To bring the symbol to consciousness. 5. Therefore. but merely a combined function of conscious and unconscious elements. Opposites are separated by virtue of the nature of consciousness. a common function of real and imaginary quantities [footnote omitted]. 7. instinctive function which alone has the power to supply the will with a content of such a nature that it can unite the opposites. we must look to the unconscious. by which I mean nothing mysterious. The energy (libido). “that maternal womb of creative fantasy. Besides the will . 3.48
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discriminating activity of consciousness does not ﬁnd much in these images that can be immediately understood.” The supplying of energy to the symbol takes place through the “differentiation of the self from the opposites” in which the Self12 chooses not to give energy (libido) to either of the opposites. This function of mediation between the opposites I have termed the transcendent function. “energy must be artiﬁcially supplied to the unconscious symbol. and each time a further step along the way is made possible. therefore. 2. instead of being directed to one of the opposites. pp.

a “sort of preliminary sketch or representation of the onward way between the opposites. 11. The process begins all over again since the “renewed conﬂict again demands the same treatment. Once the symbol is grasped in consciousness. cyclical. to produce a wholly new thing. symbol. The entire process might be thought of as a ﬂowchart as follows: opposites in consciousness and the unconscious possibility of symbol rising to consciousness Self chooses not to supply energy to either opposite energy. 12. opposites gradually unite
The section of Psychological Types from which these passages have been extracted is critical to this book and to an understanding of Jung’s psychology.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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trieves the symbol (“takes possession of the waiting fantasy material”) which it “activates and forces to the surface. rhythmic interplay between the opposites. One can see the important connections in Jung’s thinking between the opposites. the creation of the transcendent function. the symbol.” Jung describes a repeating process by which the opposites are reconciled piece by piece through the production of a symbol from the fantasy function of psyche and the emergence of that symbol for partial absorption by the conscious ego of the deeper. the interaction of the Self and ego. and the ego engages the transcendent function. unknown material to which the symbol points. fantasy. now “objectless. The repeated. fantasy.” sinks into unconscious ego glimpses new way through union of opposites opposites recover strength and are partially restored ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ symbol born in the unconcious through psyche’s fantasy activity artiﬁcial energy needed to make symbol conscious energy withdrawn from opposites into Self symbol activated by energy and forced to consciousness ego partially absorbs resolution of opposites process repeats. the ego then glimpses a greater possible individuality through a union of the opposites.” that can transform the conﬂict into a new way of being and some change may be effected. The ego is able to absorb some but not all of the change implicated by the symbol/fantasy material and the opposites are partially reinstated.” 10. and the push toward wholeness and individuation. the ad seriatim union of the opposites.
.

a vehicle that allows us to move between and create dialogue among these territories that do not otherwise touch one another. Jung’s description of the libido “sinking” into the unconscious to retrieve the symbol is devoid of the reference to the Self that was present in chapter 2: “All progress having been rendered temporarily impossible by the total division of the will [between the opposites]. to its source” (p. neither purely reason nor instinct. . pp. .v.).50
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The second place in Psychological Types where Jung describes the operation of the transcendent function through symbol and fantasy is in the eightpage section of chapter 11. neither conscious nor unconscious. No reason is given for the omission. (p. as it were. it arises out of and represents a uniting of the opposites of the conscious and unconscious. It is mentioned here primarily because the reference in chapter 2 is the ﬁrst anywhere to the Self. . resists its unifying effects. it cannot be a one-sided product of the most highly differentiated mental functions but must derive equally from the lowest and most primitive levels of the psyche. But precisely because the new symbol is born of man’s highest spiritual aspirations and must at the same time spring from the deepest roots of his being. neither was Jung’s thinking about the role of the Self in the direction of libido. Seen in this way. Chapter 11 (1921/1971) also expands the nature of the symbol itself and why it is well suited to act as a conduit between consciousness and the unconscious: The symbol is always a product of an extremely complex nature. . is also itself a manifestation of it. A further expansion in chapter 11 involves the way in which the ego struggles with the symbol. therefore. but it has another side that does not. It certainly has a side that accords with reason. in this section. neither rational nor irrational (qq. “Deﬁnitions”14 that deﬁnes “Symbol” (1921/1971. one might say that the production of the symbol. 479). though part of the process we call the transcendent function. . for it is composed not only of rational but also of irrational data. One might speculate that because the concept of the Self was not yet fully developed. The part of the deﬁnition that applies to the transcendent function echoes many of the themes and details presented immediately above with some important additions and variations. It is. 473–81). . rational and irrational. 478) The symbol is the quintessential example of something that is neither rational nor irrational. First. The symbol is a liminal entity standing with a foot in each of these opposite camps. and seeks to redivide the symbolic material back into the opposites with which the conscious ego is more comfortable:
. the libido streams backwards.

pp.v. this is sufﬁcient demonstration that it is superior to both. is dissolved if the ego chooses one opposite over the other. the operation of the transcendent function. In reality it may be that
. for both the opposites are striving to get the new product on their side. the symbol. the same dynamic “battle” will be repeated. because of its sensuous imagery. for instance. The energy created by the tension of the opposites therefore ﬂows into the mediatory product and protects it from the conﬂict which immediately breaks out again.v. occurs if the ego is stable enough to tolerate the tension of the opposites and neither of the opposites succeeds in winning over the mediatory product: If. its sole and unique means of expression.) were the decisive factor. Sometimes it seems as though the stability of the inborn individuality (q. we conceive the opposition to be sensuality versus spirituality. however. the ego goes along with it. the other into sensual experience. and also for the sensual antithesis. (1921/1971. Inferior Function) ensues. then the mediatory content born out of the unconscious provides a welcome means of expression for the spiritual thesis. constellated by thesis and antithesis in equal measure and standing in a compensatory (q. Spirituality wants to make something spiritual out of it. The transformation. as a result of the stability of the ego. sometimes as though the mediatory product possesses a superior power that determines the ego’s absolute stability. however. because of its rich spiritual associations. 479–80) Jung here gives us rich detail on how the ego can provide such resistance to the symbolic material that no integration occurs. in that event. the one wants to turn it into science or art. neither side succeeds in dissolving the mediatory product. The stability of the ego and the superiority of the mediatory product to both thesis and antithesis are to my mind correlates. The appropriation or dissolution of the mediatory product by either side is successful only if the ego is not completely divided but inclines more to one side or the other. whereupon an identiﬁcation of the ego with the most favoured function (v. If. The ego. the process of division will be repeated later on a higher plane.) relation to both. The mediatory product. and it eagerly seizes on this in order to be delivered from its division. Consequently. each conditioning the other. It thus forms the middle ground on which the opposites can be united [italics added]. and sensuality something sensual. torn between thesis and antithesis ﬁnds the middle ground in its own counterpart. But if one side succeeds in winning over and dissolving the mediatory product.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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From the activity of the unconscious there now emerges a new content.

and “transcendent” not as denoting a metaphysical quality but merely the fact that this function facilitates transition from one attitude to another. and its conﬁguration by the opposites ensures its sovereign power over all the psychic functions. its transformational qualities. 481) Jung here echoes an earlier theme: the operation of the transcendent function requires an equal partnership between symbolic material and the stability of the ego. 480) One is struck by the powerful language used by Jung here about the symbol. at the end of this long passage relating to symbols in the deﬁnitions section of Psychological Types. In this regard. but we could just as well say that an
. In this way it becomes a new content that governs the whole attitude. Finally. it forms the raw material for a process not of dissolution but of construction. I have called this process in its totality the transcendent function. Jung’s letters and seminars can be very helpful since they contain several references which help to ﬂesh out those concepts. and the role it plays in the transcendent function. and in the shaping of which the opposites are united. the very stuff of the psyche. in commenting on the emergence of personality characteristics that seem inconsistent with one’s conscious personality. In a 1939 letter. some readers are frustrated that Jung does not give more examples of how they actually work. transcending time and dissolution. for example. is the living symbol. (p. Jung gives an example from the Bible of how a symbol merges from the tension of opposites: Take the classic case of the temptation of Christ. putting an end to the division and forcing the energy of the opposites into a common channel. (1921/1971. Its profundity of meaning is inherent in the raw material itself. Jung gives the symbol the credit for uniting the opposites and in providing the entire impetus for psychological growth. The standstill is overcome and life can ﬂow on with renewed power towards new goals. Jung summarizes the entire process of the symbol mediating a reconciliation between the opposites: If the mediatory product remains intact. The raw material shaped by thesis and antithesis. in these important passages. “function” being here understood not as a basic function but as a complex function made up of other functions.52
The Transcendent Function
the stability of the one and the superior power of the other are the two sides of the same coin. p. We say that the devil tempted him. in which thesis and antithesis both play their part. Because of the profundity and complexity of these concepts. Indeed.

it is a sort of intuition or revelation. the uniting of the two opposites (here. The devil wants to tempt Jesus to proclaim himself master of the world. 9) and how “when such an opposition as that occurs. limited. Hence the transcendent function is only usable in part as a method. But it can be used as a method too. Jung details how the mediating symbol of the older female personality bridged the exaggerated
. a spiritual kingdom rather than a material one. After struggling with a series of ghosts of ever greater and superior stature. The symbol cannot be consciously chosen or constructed. In a seminar in analytical psychology in March. and the transformation to a wholly new attitude or perspective (here. the Kingdom of Heaven). presented exactly the reverse picture” (p. The resulting conﬂict—thanks precisely to the transcendent function—leads to a symbol uniting the opposed positions. ﬁnally opening her own shop and becoming well known for making beautiful. p.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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unconscious desire for power confronted him in the form of the devil. Both sides appear here: the light side and the dark. 9). Two things are united in this symbol. the idea of spirit and power united in a spiritual kingdom rather than a physical one). 9) where she was surrounded. that is. Jung and his colleagues discussed the case of a girl seeking to “ﬁnd her true self ” (1989a. when the contrary will of the unconscious is sought for and recognized in dreams and other unconscious products. the young woman effected extraordinary change in her life. Jung describes how the “tension between her real life and her unreal life increased” (p. . 10). her “unconscious . Thus the encounter of Christ with the devil is a classic example of the transcendent function. It appears here in the form of an involuntary personal experience. Soon thereafter. pp. in visions and images. (1973a. in the form of two conﬂicting personality traits. then. 9). 1925. 267–68) One can see in this passage Jung’s application of several key concepts: the opposites resident in the conscious and unconscious (here. the emergence of the symbol (here. a symbol appears: it is the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven. thanks to the function that results from every conﬂict. an older female character with great spiritual beauty emerged in her fantasy. apprenticing with a famous dressmaker. . the other part always remains an involuntary experience. Jesus wants not to succumb to the temptation. the Kingdom of Heaven unites the spiritual attitude of Christ and the devilish desire for power). In this way the conscious personality is brought face to face with the counter-position of the unconscious. light and dark or spirit and power). original clothes. something must happen that brings things together” (p. the spiritual attitude of Christ and the devilish desire for power. “and meager in every sense” and as a result. Her conscious personality was inferior. by “ghosts of very important people” (p.

for though people are not always eager to recognize the conﬂicts that are upsetting their lives. In contrast to the 1916 essay where he described only the “external forms and possibilities of the transcendent function” (p.54
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inferior conscious and the inﬂated superior unconscious positions to create the transcendent function and transformation for the patient: The ﬁgure which she developed is the mediatory symbol. on the other the imagination. She detached herself from the cheapness of her surroundings on the one hand. its exact nature remains somewhat elusive. Jung noted that the symbol consists of both fantasy and real. and that fantasy is the lynchpin of reconciling the opposites: Going back to the transcendent function. 10) Later in the seminar. 23). Jung fulﬁlls the assignment he gave himself in the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function” (1957) to “describe the contents of the transcendent function” (p. Fantasy is the creative function—the living form is a result of fantasy. (p. and the reality side was much too small. In the case of the girl. Jung comes back to a discussion of the transcendent function and its dependence on the symbol. This brings about the two poles. 23). irrational and rational. on the one side are to be found the real facts. 11) In Psychological Types and these other sources. and on the other hand of the creative fantasy that will lead the way out. (p. in these writings Jung describes in detail how fantasy and symbol are used by psyche to catalyze the transcendent function to move beyond the standstill inherent in the opposites. and on the other from the ghosts which did not belong to her. the ghosts went much too far on the side of imagination. When she put herself into reality she was a ﬁrst-rate tailoress. down the path of individuation. the dreams are always at work trying to tell on the one hand of the conﬂict. That it involves a dialogue between consciousness and
.” that emerges from fantasy. One could say that nature working alone works along the lines of the mediatory or transcendent function. Fantasy is a pre-stage of the symbol. Jung’s Ambiguity about the Nature of the Transcendent Function Even having explored the way the transcendent function operates. but it is an essential characteristic of the symbol that it is not mere fantasy. which he also calls the “living form. Thus there is created an attitude which liberates from the pairs of opposites. It is the living form into which she slowly developed. We count upon fantasy to take us out of the impasse.

like a battery loaded with charge awaiting an opportunity to be discharged. Jung describes how. Similarly. and an effect generated by an activity. 80). 200). an expression of a relationship.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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the unconscious through the instrumentalities of fantasy and symbol is clear. In the opening paragraph of “The Transcendent Function. 15) Part of the problem is the ambiguity built into the word function. In “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1953). Jung calls the transcendent function a “process of coming to terms with the unconscious” (p. for example. (Dehing. Jung even sometimes refers to a it as a method. Jung sometimes deﬁned the transcendent function as a function: a speciﬁc action or. Yet confusingly Jung also uses the label transcendent function to refer to the actual process through which the polarities and potentialities are discharged.15 However. p.” for example. it is also evident that Jung used the expression inconsistently. by analogy with the mathematical term. Jung focuses on the relational aspect explaining that the transcendent function “means a psychological function” that “arises from the union of conscious and unconscious contents” (1957/1960. a dependence between elements of different sets. in addition to referring to the transcendent function as both a relationship and a process. a process or the effect brought about by these dynamics. In one place. for example. But what is the transcendent function exactly? Is it the expression of the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious when in dynamic opposition? Is it the process that ensues out of such opposition? Is it the method one uses to conduct the process? Is it the ﬁnal result. Its multiple meanings include the ideas of relationship between two variables. the third thing that emerges? Or is it some combination of all these? Indeed. These and other references envision the transcendent function as an oppositional relationship between consciousness and the unconscious. 115). The production of
. 69). p. an action or activity (which would be consistent with the idea of a process or a method). But more often than not he referred to it as a method. In Psychological Types (1921/1971) he uses similar language calling the transcendent function “a combined function of conscious and unconscious elements” (p.” It is a process and a method at the same time [italics added]. in Mysterium Coniunctionis (1955– 1956/1963). a set of polarities or potentialities. To complicate the picture. he describes the transcendent function as the “continual process of getting to know the counterposition in the unconscious” (p. through the tension of the opposites. 1992. Jung’s writings are unclear on this very point. leading to change through the transcendent function: The whole process is called the “transcendent function. the unconscious compensates for consciousness.

and to refer to the method through which such an interaction can be accomplished. The dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious is a function because it reﬂects a relationship between them. for example. 18). . that is. The function is called “transcendent” because it facilitates the transition from one psychic condition to another by means of the mutual confrontation of the opposites. 489) One can see from this passage how Jung could very easily traverse the boundaries between function. p. third thing that emerges the transcendent function. . Indeed. 268) In these passages. 1992. Emphasizing the importance of bringing unconscious material into consciousness to effect “a settlement with the activated residues” of our history. in a letter describing how the temptation of Christ exempliﬁes the bringing together of the opposites of spirituality and power. and the conscious practice of it becomes a method. is the transcendent function born of the union of the opposites” (1928/1953. “This settlement makes the cross-
. Jung even sometimes calls the new. That is.” Further. the transcendent function is often discussed by Jung in combination with the synthetic method (Dehing. . process. and method just outlined. Jung concludes that the transcendent function is both a personal experience and a method: Thus the encounter of Christ with the devil is a classic example of the transcendent function. the other part always remains an involuntary experience. Hence the transcendent function is only usable in part as a method. In describing a patient’s enormous shifts through joining the conscious with the unconscious. p. In this way the conscious personality is brought face to face with the counterposition of the unconscious. the conscious realization is a method. Jung concludes.56
The Transcendent Function
unconscious compensations is a spontaneous process. Elsewhere. It appears here in the form of an involuntary personal experience. in addition to using the transcendent function to describe the function or relationship between consciousness and the unconscious. But it can be used as a method too. Jung states explicitly what is implicit in the idea of the transcendent function: it is both a process that can occur spontaneously and a method that can be prompted. (1973a. “The result . (1939/1958. But what ﬂows from that relationship is a process. 223). p. and method. . p. when the contrary will of the unconscious is sought for and recognized in dreams and other unconscious products. he states. Jung also uses transcendent function to refer to the result of the function. to identify what happens when the two dialogue with one another. Finally. . the essay “The Transcendent Function” is focused on both the abstract idea of the transcendent function and the practical method called “active imagination. process.

Jung did indeed use the term transcendent function in several different ways. . individuation is an archetypal process pulling all people toward a purpose that can only be realized by integration of the material in the unconscious. consciousness and the unconscious are separated by opposites the very nature of which are difﬁcult if not impossible to reconcile. 99). Jung comes out on the side that the transcendent function is a natural part of psychic rhythm. On the other hand. is a natural process. envisioned in this way. p. In some of his writings he states that it is akin to an autonomous activity outside of a person’s control. the transcendent function is a natural and ongoing process along that path. . at least one author opined that Jung’s ambiguity was intentional. seen in this way. now another. The
. 648). . a manifestation of the energy that springs from the tension of the opposites. Finally. Jung was never much concerned about strict deﬁnition. one might say. He states: The transcendent function . either encouraging it or blocking it. On the one hand. Jung refers to an animal in the dream as symbolizing the reconciliation of the opposites: “From this reconciliation a new thing is always created. . In spite of this—or perhaps because of this—his accumulated deﬁnitions denote an intuitive concept embracing and containing process and effect. p. . Jung is also not entirely consistent as to whether or not the transcendent function is a natural process. (Sandner. 31) Seen in this way. the transcendent function is no exception. in working with a patient’s dream during a seminar. . showing now one facet of the concept. some might respond. a new thing is realized. That is the transcendent function” (1984. Thus. Jung’s multiple use of and ambiguity around the term transcendent function merely reﬂects its several different aspects. For the most part. .Tracing the Transcendent Function
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ing of previous boundaries altogether feasible and is therefore appropriately called the transcendent function” (1943/1953. . p. Jung acknowledges these different perspectives and speaks about the transcendent function in both these ways. Though this can be somewhat confusing. function and method. one might posit that the transcendent function is in no way assured to happen and that it therefore needs artiﬁcial help. that it represented his refusal to be boxed in by the limitations of strictly delineated deﬁnitions when attempting to describe nonlinear and multifaceted psychic phenomena: It is characteristic of Jung to deﬁne his important terms ambiguously. 1992. One can intuitively see the two different sides of this discussion. that it happens constantly whether we like it or not and whether we catalyze it or not. in other writings he implies that a person can have an impact on the operation of the transcendent function.

269). the production and unfolding of the original potential wholeness. p. there may yet be a lack of courage and self-
. It is in the ﬁrst place a purely natural process. which may in some cases pursue its course without the knowledge or assistance of the individual. or—to be more accurate—could be widened if it took the trouble to integrate them. Jung comments on how coming to terms with the counter-position in the unconscious continually widens consciousness.16 that it is part of a universal human instinct to be whole. in all its aspects. of the personality hidden away in the embryonic germplasm. (1943/1953. “The transcendent function is not something one does oneself. These annunciations express the view that the transcendent function is not something a person controls but is an innate.58
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natural process by which the opposites are united came to serve me as the model and basis for a method. one that proceeds without a person even knowing about it. then he pauses and adds an important qualiﬁer: Consciousness is continually widened through the confrontation with previously unconscious contents. it may even impose itself on a person who opposes it. p. it comes rather from experiencing the conﬂict of the opposites” (1973a. We can also see how this view dovetails with Jung’s ideas regarding the synthetic method. and individuation. (1943/1953. part of the process of individuation” (1955. one in which there are things a person can do to encourage or impede the occurrence or frequency of the transcendent function. but leads to the revelation of the essential man. In the closing passages of “The Transcendent Function. one might call the transcendent function autonomous. As Jung elaborated in a letter. That is naturally not always the case. 110) The same theme is echoed in another letter Jung states that the transcendent function “is a natural and spontaneous phenomenon. Even if there is sufﬁcient intelligence to understand the procedure. 80) We see here the essence of Jung’s “natural process”: the opposites create a tension from which energy springs and the transcendent function is the natural result of that energy. p. 690). The meaning and purpose of the process is the realization. Seen in this way. p. even archetypal. Jung ties these ideas together later in the same work: The transcendent function does not proceed without aim or purpose.” for example. psychic process. purpose. and can sometimes forcibly accomplish itself in the face of opposition [italics added]. Yet there are places where Jung offers a very different vision of the transcendent function. In these passages we see Jung’s assertion that the transcendent function is a purely natural process.

Jung states plainly that it may or may not occur and that one’s courage. the core of these ideas was formed but undeveloped. Meaning and Transformation Jung’s writings subsequent to “The Transcendent Function” evidence a coalescence of his thinking about psychological change. this question cannot be answered in an either/or way. The original version of “The Transcendent Function” established the transcendent function as the workhorse of psychological change: “The term transcendent
. and the synthetic view of psyche. these two aspects sometimes occur together. the transcendent function can be viewed through either of these two lenses. courage. and psychological preparedness inﬂuence one’s ability to experience the transcendent function. and in our daily lives. In other words. mentally and morally. self-conﬁdence. was guided in a teleological way to make each person the unique individual he was intended to be. in fact many times. Most people would likely agree that there are times. meaning. Such recurrences illustrate Jung’s seminal idea that the unconscious is autonomous. in his own rejoinder to the idea that the transcendent function is a purely natural process. in culture. and instinctual.” He believed that the psychological change produced by the transcendent function. Is the transcendent function a natural process that moves forward in each of us independent of our disposition or efforts. As one writer states it. rather than being random. 91) Here. purpose. Jung states that “the unconscious process itself hardly ever reaches consciousness without technical aid” (1939/1959. For example. p.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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conﬁdence. “Jung deﬁned the transcendent function as both [italics added] an instinctive process and as something requiring conscious development” (Salman. or too cowardly. 488). Yet it seems also to be the case that a person can encourage or impede the transcendent function by their psychological openness. Paradoxically. By 1916. p. speaking about how the analytical technique can make unconscious compensations conscious. This paradox and its implications will be explored further in chapter 7 as we ponder whether the transcendent function can be increased in relationships. when psychological change occurs seemingly in spite of and against the will of the person to whom the changes are occurring. or is it something we invoke and guide in some sense? As with many of Jung’s ideas. and tenacity. and motivates change in us even when we do not want it. and sometimes in rhythm with one another. (1957/1960. sometimes independently. Individuation: Constructive View. or one is too lazy. Jung makes similar comments elsewhere. p. willingness. to make an effort. 1992. 145). the transcendent function is both natural (instinctive) and can be prompted or assisted (developed). which all led to his enunciating the principle he called “individuation.

the synthetic view of psyche. he developed the concept of individuation. the transcendent function. teleological direction: The psyche consists of two incongruous halves which together should form a whole. . is what I mean by the individuation process [italics added]. Both are aspects of life. . These ideas obviously overlap and intertwine. an “individual. (1928/1953. How the harmonizing of conscious and unconscious data is to be undertaken cannot be indicated in the form of a recipe. repressed information is dumped. . . Conscious and unconscious do not make a whole when one of them is suppressed and injured by the other. is the way human life should be. 219) The 1916 essay also ﬁrmly established the teleological. its role in resolving and uniting the opposites is part of a larger. Consciousness should defend its reason and protect itself. . . (1939/1959. . . The transcendent function does not proceed without aim. in contrast to the Freudian view that it is merely the receptacle where uncomfortable. guided process in psyche toward wholeness.” This rounding out of the personality into a whole may well be the goal of any psychotherapy that claims to be more than a mere cure of symptoms. . . it is a process or course of development arising out of the conﬂict between the two fundamental psychic facts. the transcendent function. That. . Jung even asserted that the transcendent function literally changes the personality: I will refrain from discussing the nature of this change of personality [italics added]. evidently. As this purposive view of psyche developed into an even more central pillar of Jung’s paradigm. the idea that psyche aims each of us in a particular. purposive view of the unconscious. and individuation. I have called this change. roughly.60
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designates the fact that this function mediates the transition from one attitude to another” (1957. 9). . pp. which is the aim of our analysis of the unconscious. It is the old game of hammer and anvil: between them the patient iron is forged into an indestructible whole. Out of this union emerge new situations and new conscious attitudes. meaning/purpose. As the name shows. 287–89) This passage evidences the connections between the opposites. since I only want to emphasize the fact that an important change does take place. I have therefore called the union of the opposites the “transcendent function. a thumbnail sketch of which might look like this:
. This means open conﬂict and open collaboration at once. . . It is an irrational life-process. p.” This. . p. and the chaotic life of the unconscious should be given the chance of having its way too.

That the individuation process is guided purposively is emphasized in a number of references. each modicum of growth contributes to the construction or synthesis of a prospective ﬁnal goal) as opposed to being explained reductively by the events of early life (i. Jung asserts that the only hope of understanding the eternal rift between good and evil is through a collaboration between conscious and unconscious: “The cooperation of conscious reasoning and the data of the unconscious is called the ‘transcendent function’ [footnote omitted]. Jung states:
. For example. each psychological event is reduced causally to an earlier trauma or episode). p. Jung repeats the same idea elsewhere. Jung describes how the cruciﬁxion of Christ.. Describing. in Symbols of Transformation (1952/1956). .” repeats in a neverending cycle leading the person to ever greater degrees of wholeness. a symbol that brings together masculine consciousness and the feminine unconscious. (3) given proper circumstances. (2) the polarity inherent in the dynamic opposition of consciousness and the unconscious creates an energy ﬂow that will lead to a dialogue between them. (4) the psychic changes effected by the transcendent function create shifts that make the personality less fragmented and split. 433). for example. (6) the transcendent function and individuation are not random processes without direction but are guided in some way toward what the individual was meant to be.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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(1) the opposites resident in consciousness and the unconscious create a psychic tension from which all psychological life ﬂows. (5) the process. Similarly. (7) psychological growth is pushed inexorably and synthetically forward toward individuation (i. which Jung called “individuation. 690). more uniﬁed and complete. “signiﬁes the conjunction of the conscious and unconscious. . in a letter written in 1954. This function progressively unites the opposites . [and is] part of the process of individuation” (1955.e. the transcendent function will manifest as a quality of conjoined opposites.e. the obstinacy evident in a patient’s dream. a new. third thing that is not a mixture of the opposites but transcends them while uniting them and expressing them both in some way. The critical link drawn by Jung between the transcendent function and the individuation process is simple: a person cannot grow toward wholeness without reconciling the polarities of consciousness and the unconscious.. the transcendent function characteristic of the individuation process” (p.

individuation. . 395–96) As we complete this section. but leads to the revelation of the essential man. Its function is to express the telos—goal of the personality. “the original. 110) This passage reﬂects the inescapable connections between meaning and purpose. . in all its aspects.” Corbett (1992) eloquently summarizes the connections between the transcendent function. as a rule. . for there is no truly living thing that does not have a ﬁnal meaning [italics added]. . and meaning: The transcendent function describes the capacity of the psyche to change and grow toward individuation when consciousness and the unconscious join. For these reasons I have termed this the individuation process. . revealing the essential person. (1943/1953. we see the centrality of meaning and purpose to Jung and Jungian psychology. The symbols used by the unconscious to this end are the same as those which mankind has always used to express wholeness.
. potential wholeness. p. of the quaternity and the circle. .” the “personality originally hidden away in the embryonic germ-plasm. . brings together the ideas of psychological development and meaning. the production and unfolding of the original. The transcendent function does not proceed without aim but rather purposefully toward “the revelation of the essential man. the transcendent function.” The meaning and purpose of the transcendent function is the potential totality that paradoxically lies at the end of the process but also was there all along. that can in other words be explained as a mere left-over from antecedent facts. (1928/1953. . . unlike many others. p. potential wholeness. . completeness. . This movement [from unconscious to conscious] is motivated by a need to join with whatever is missing from ourselves in order to enhance the wholeness and cohesiveness of the personality. . of the personality originally hidden away in the embryonic germ-plasm. (pp. The transcendent function enables such movement toward wholeness to occur. 133) Jung not only felt that purpose and meaning guide the psyche generally but that they also guide the transcendent function and the individuation process: The transcendent function does not proceed without aim and purpose. The meaning and purpose of the process is the realization. Certainly one of the reasons that some are drawn to this branch of the tree of psychology is because it.62
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I naturally asked myself what was the source of this obstinacy and what was its purpose? That it must have some purposive meaning I was convinced. and the individuation process. and perfection: symbols.

I have called these images and motifs “archetypes.” that is shared by all human beings and contains “the phylogenetic and instinctual bases of the human race” (Samuels. p. . 65–66)
. neurological. the mother. Shorter. Jung theorized that the collective unconscious contained what he called “archetypes” and described as “components in the form of inherited categories” (1928/1953. p. p. and separation” (Samuels. 1986.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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Rather than reducing psyche to the desiccated realms of physiological. the animal. p. p. the personal unconscious for the subjective psyche]. the wise old man. because it is detached from anything personal and is common to all men. the child” (1943/1953. death. motherhood. or terrain of the unconscious. In contrast to Freud. the anima. and Plaut. 110)—and behaviors—“especially those that cluster around the basic and universal experiences of life such as birth. therefore. 138). Jung hypothesized that such ﬁgures and behaviors were “the legacy of ancestral life” (1943/1953. and reductive explanations. Jungian psychology posits that psyche and soul necessarily implicate telos and purpose. recognized and reﬂected in the customs and images of all cultures: There are present in every individual. . Jung posited that there is another layer. area. besides his personal memories. since its contents can be found everywhere. who saw the unconscious as entirely personal to each individual. . 26). timeless. the animus. . As Jung himself states it: We have to distinguish between a personal unconscious and an impersonal or transpersonal unconscious. . and ubiquitous. We speak of the latter also as the collective unconscious [footnote—The collective unconscious stands for the objective psyche. (1943/1953. ways of organizing human experience into categories or patterns that are universal. 66) Further. Jung conceptualized such categories and patterns as inner ﬁgures—he mentioned “the shadow. 155). p. marriage. behavioral. the great “primordial” images. 1986. . pp. Shorter. 77) inherited by all humans and were. (1943/1953. which is naturally not the case with the personal contents. a repository for repressed early life experiences. what he called the “collective unconscious” or “objective psyche.” also “dominants” of the unconscious. the inherited possibilities of human imagination as it was from time immemorial. and Plaut. The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious Jung’s writings also evidence noteworthy connections between the transcendent function and his seminal thinking about the archetypes of the collective unconscious. The fact of this inheritance explains the truly amazing phenomenon that certain motifs from myths and legends repeat themselves the world over in identical forms.

First. and Plaut. 1986. beyond the level of the empirical personality” (Corbett. a recognition of an other. it bears emphasis here. in a section of “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1953) called “The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious” (pp. Shorter. Jung brings the transcendent function and the archetypes together in two ways. 90–113). In Jungian terms. archetypes have been described as “the inherited part of the psyche.64
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Elsewhere. the shift in attitude. no progress can be made. it would stand to reason that there must be a link between the transcendent function and the archetypes. Indeed. It offers a rationally acceptable solution. (1943/1953. this hypothesis in no way violates our intellectual conscience. Jung echoes this theme in a 1955 letter where he states that it is through the “careful consideration of the numina” of the archetypes that “unconscious data are integrated into conscious life (as the ‘transcendent function’)” (1973c. including the archetypes. 15). If on the other hand we take the ﬁgures of the unconscious as collective psychic phenomena or functions. It is synonymous with the progressive development toward a new attitude. particularly in light of the deeper perspectives we will engage later. A second reference in “On the Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/ 1953) makes this point in an even stronger way when Jung identiﬁes the
. pp. into conversation with consciousness. Though this would seem to be a straightforward point. he proposes that recognizing the autonomy and being open to the inﬂuence of the archetypal ﬁgures in the collective unconscious prompts the transcendent function: So long as the collective unconscious and the individual psyche are coupled together without being differentiated. p. 1996. 26) and “a fundamental organizing principle which originates from the objective psyche. p. that allows the transcendent function. 283). 98–99) Here Jung tells us that it is coming to terms with archetypal ﬁgures themselves (“effecting a settlement [italics added] with the activated residues of our racial history”). “I-controlled” will but rather through a recognition that “I” am part of a larger psychic object which guides me. . . structuring patterns of psychological performance linked to instinct” (Samuels. This settlement makes the crossing of previous boundaries altogether feasible and is therefore appropriately called the transcendent function. p. and at the same time a possible method of effecting a settlement with the activated residues of our racial history. Psychological change does not occur through an effort of subjective. . it is the very acknowledgment of the collective unconscious and the autonomous patterns that personify it that catalyzes the possibility of the transcendent function. a change in consciousness. Given the role of the transcendent function in bringing contents of the unconscious.

because they are the source from which hints may be drawn for the solution of the problem of opposites.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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archetypes themselves as mediators of the transcendent function out of which the opposites can be united: The archetypes are of course always at work everywhere. At the climacteric . p. and arrived on the other bank. It is as if you had crossed the great ﬂood. the transcendent function and the archetypes are different expressions of the same thing. whenever contact is made with an archetypal image. . 975) In a sense. In one of his seminars. behind walls. therefore it is of course a transcendent function because you transcended from one level to another. Then out of that confusion suddenly arises a reconciling symbol—we cannot say “the” in spite of the fact that it is always the same—it is an archetypal symbol or a reconciling symbol which unites the vital need of man with the archetypal conditions. (p. which can be truly understood only if experienced as an autonomous entity. one in process form and one in personiﬁed form. the inundation. 109) This passage is crucial to show the development of Jung’s thinking. whenever the transcendent function is at work.17 an understanding through experience of a dynamic image from the objective psyche. By “apprehension” I do not mean simply intellectual understanding. consciousness is interacting in some way with archetypal material. have reached a higher level. is a dynamic image. (1988a. From the conscious elaboration of this material the transcendent function reveals itself as a mode of apprehension mediated by the archetypes and capable of uniting the opposites [italics added]. then suddenly the sea breaks in: you are inundated by an archetypal world and you are in complete confusion. as we have said. it is necessary to give special attention to the images of the collective unconscious. . Here Jung is identifying the transcendent function as essentially an experience of the archetypes. but understanding through experience. Jung described in powerful detail how the archetypes erupt and interrupt the relative quiet of directed consciousness. . An archetype. the transcendent function (or at least the potential for it) will likely ensue. thereby prompting the transcendent function: Say you have been very one-sided and lived in a two-dimensional world only. thinking that you were perfectly safe. .
. and so you have transcended the obstacle. dialogue between conscious and unconscious. To put it differently. . So you have made a step forward in consciousness. or the great river. a fragment of the objective psyche.

46–47) In the Jungian paradigm. . similarly holds the masculine aspects of women. the feminine side of a man’s personality and the masculine side of a woman’s personality must be allowed to express themselves in consciousness and behavior. According to Jung. that poses a foundational question: Is it possible that the archetypes came to Jung. is the transcendent function the core process and the archetypes a reiﬁcation of the unconscious part of the dialogue Jung was describing between consciousness and the unconscious? Are the archetypes Jung’s attempts to give voice to or personify the operation of the transcendent function? These questions will be explored as we proceed further. the anima is an important archetypal structure that holds the feminine aspects of man.66
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Signiﬁcantly. Homans (1995) states: Jung believed that the anima and the persona were related in a balanced or compensatory fashion. in part.” Jung’s ﬁrst attempt to describe how consciousness and the unconscious dialogue in order to effect psychological transformation. anima and animus play a compensatory role to the persona. (Hall and Nordby. . Granted. not only in the biological sense that man and woman secrete both male and female sex hormones but also in a psychological sense of attitudes and feelings. The anima archetype is the feminine side of the male psyche. or public mask aimed at conforming with the collective. the animus archetype is the masculine side of the female psyche. its counterpart. focused exclusively on the process itself and was devoid of reference to the collective unconscious and the archetypes. 1973. In describing the way in which the anima performs this function in a man. The persona is a psychological
. If the personality is to be well adjusted and harmoniously balanced. those concepts were not yet fully formed. . outward face of the psyche. the animus. the archetypal. Anima and Animus: Mediators between Consciousness and the Unconscious The link between the transcendent function and the archetypes explored in the last section is more specifically manifested in the connection Jung draws between the transcendent function and the anima/animus. However. Jung believed that each person has contrasexual attitudes and feelings actively at work in the unconscious and that the development of a whole personality required those to become assimilated into consciousness. Every person has qualities of the opposite sex. is counterbalanced by the anima or animus which demands interaction with the unconscious. “The Transcendent Function. as a convenient way to more fully describe the transcendent function? Put another way. An individual’s persona. pp.

As one author put it: The animus of the woman is not so much the repressed Masculine as it is the repressed Other. . an autonomous complex is transformed into a function of the relation between conscious and unconscious [italics added]. Accordingly. and Plaut. fully adapted to society and fully rational.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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structure composed of patterns of conformity to social norms. when properly assimilated. pp. There is a mystery about the unknown. but at a more abstract. represent the very relations between consciousness and the unconscious: Hence. 22). to become aware that there is an unconscious. 105–06)
. . theoretical level the anima is also a symbol or the existence of the unconscious. 1986. ( J. anima and animus have a central role in Jungian psychology because of their role in guiding us to the depths of the unconscious where we can make contact with and come to terms with the unknown or other within. social reality. But Jung believed that no matter how rigid the persona of a man might be. the unconscious Other that she has been prevented from living out. . 105) As the concepts of anima and animus evolved in Jung’s thinking. p. Jung himself acknowledged the broad and profound role of the animus and anima when he called the former “the archetype of meaning” (1934/1959. when the archetype of the anima is assimilated. (p. (pp. the anima is at one level an archetypal figure with which the ego must contend. then the individual becomes only a role. The individual has to come to terms with the existence of the unconscious. p. To come to terms with the anima is. and as a consequence the dimension of inner living—the unconscious—is repressed. psychological reality. . 193–94) Elsewhere the anima/animus are described as the archetypal energy in the unconscious that embody what Jung called “the not-I” (Samuels. Thus. The potential of man’s anima and woman’s animus is that they can be guides to the depths of the unconscious. there still existed for him an invisible system of relations with the unconscious. The anima of the man may function in a similar way. and the unknown is often the unconscious Other within. therefore. Just as the personal structures adapt to outer. so the anima structures adapt to inner. Singer. If the conscious ego identifies fully with the persona. . Shorter. 1972. 32) and the latter “the archetype of life itself ” (p. 32). Indeed. . Homans (1995) goes further and asserts that the anima (and animus) are the symbols of the existence of the unconscious itself and. they came to represent not just contrasexual aspects but more expansive connections to the unknown or the other within the unconscious.

the transcendent
. which is the aim of our analysis of the unconscious. or some combination of all these. . has. For the moment I will refrain from discussing the nature of this change of personality. or that the anima/animus is an archetype and the transcendent function is an archetypal process both of which are fundamentally involved in the same activity. the conceptual connection is clear. 212). In “The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (1928/1953). He then gives two detailed descriptions. since I only want to emphasize the fact that an important change does take place. . I have called this change. (p. . together with active participation in the fantastic events. it might be difficult to exactly identify the difference between them. As Bradway (1982) states: The conscious approach to and acknowledgment of the anima and animus provide experiences that carry one into contact with inner conflicts as well as with one’s own vital resources. the effect . operated to bring the unconscious into conversation with consciousness. Jung makes several references in his works that solidify the multiple links between anima/animus and the transcendent function we have drawn above. each plays a part in fostering an interaction between consciousness and the unconscious to potentiate individuation. . “I owe it to the reader to give him a detailed example of the specific activity of animus and anima” (p. respectively. In summarizing the effect of assimilation of the anima/animus. the bringing together of consciousness and the unconscious through the operation and assimilation of the anima and animus fosters individuation. Jung says: Continual conscious realization of unconscious fantasies [of the anima and animus]. The anima and animus thus provide for consciousness a bridge or link with the unconscious and therefore contribute to the individuation process. Each is integrally involved in establishing a relationship or dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious. of bringing about a change of personality. 278) From these descriptions. one can readily see the close link between the anima and animus and the transcendent function. Indeed. each has as a central purpose bringing a compensatory balance of the unconscious to consciousness. which requires the bringing of unconscious components into consciousness [italics added]. one about a female patient and one about a male. from this perspective. of the specific ways in which animus and anima. as I have witnessed in a very large number of cases. the telos of Jungian work. We might say that the assimilation of the anima/animus makes the transcendent function possible. In any event.68
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Finally. for example. . Jung begins a section by stating that. or that the operation of the transcendent function fosters the assimilation of the anima/animus.

. The secret of alchemy was in fact the transcendent function. Jung says. . . as the previous section illustrated the connections between the concept of the archetypes and the transcendent function. in describing the function of the anima. where it was expressed in terms of alchemical symbolism. to objectivate the effects of the anima and then try to understand what contents underlie those effects . of the differentiated with the inferior functions. Finally. . 205) Thus. is the principal object of late medieval alchemical philosophy. of the conscious with the unconscious. this section shows the close links between the transcendent function and Jung’s concept of the
. (pp. From a consideration of the claims of the inner and outer worlds. that “the anima plays the role of the mediatrix between the unconscious and the conscious” (1958/1964. In this excerpt Jung envisions that the anima/animus prompt the process of the dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious and the transcendent function is the final outcome of that process. it is essential for anyone who intends to make progress . the transcendent function occurs. has never yet devised a concept. expressed in the transcendent function. we can see the explicit link drawn by Jung between anima/ animus and the transcendent function. Jung describes the anima/animus in terms that are remarkably akin to the language he uses to describe the transcendent function. that assimilation of the anima/animus prompts the transcendent function. 219–20) In this quote. our Western mind. 1958. He states. for example. in a letter to an anonymous recipient in March. language that is strikingly similar to his descriptions of the transcendent function. from the conflict between them. or rather. 378). Elsewhere. the change in personality. that is.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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function. Unfortunately. which could respectably be set against the Chinese concept of Tao. . “The anima is a representative of the unconscious and hence a mediatrix” (1973d. the possible and the necessary follows. p. He asserts that through continual work with the anima/animus. p. Jung uses language that is virtually identical to the language he uses elsewhere to describe the transcendent function: Because the things of the inner world influence us all the more powerfully for being unconscious. . 422). (1928/1953. again using the mediating language that he generally reserves for the transcendent function. Further. p. nor even a name for the union of the opposites through the middle path. This remarkable capacity of the human psyche for change. the transformation of personality through the blending and fusion of the noble with the base components. that most fundamental item of inward experience. . lacking all culture in this respect.

it is also the center of this totality” (p. That which is transcendent in it is the aspect through which the self is related to the unconscious. the Self represents the center of all consciousness. The Self as Progeny of the Transcendent Function Numerous references through Jung’s works raise the issue of the relationship between the transcendent function and the Self. the archetype of unity and totality (Storr. . beyond the individual. to the inﬁnite and the unreachable. therefore. then the centre of gravity of the total personality shifts its position. 45) Similarly. Singer. which is merely the centre of consciousness. and Plaut (1986) describe the Self this way: An archetypal image of man’s fullest potential and unity of the personality as a whole. Yet. (p. but in the hypothetical point between conscious and unconscious. 238): That which is immanent in it is the aspect through which the self is related to human understanding. even within the limitations of its ﬁnitude. p. or as one called it “half immanent and half transcendent” ( J. (p. Jung’s Self has several different aspects. Samuels. 135) Lastly. (p. both conscious and unconscious. 1983. in addition to being the center of the totality of consciousness. incorporating both consciousness and the unconscious. Again. It is then no longer in the ego. 1972. . As Jung (1929/1967) states it: If the unconscious can be recognized as a co-determining factor along with consciousness . J. p. the destiny of the individual. Shorter. in mediating between consciousness and the unconscious to allow a union of the opposites or middle path. as opposed to the ego. The self as a unifying principle within the human psyche occupies the central position of authority in relationship to psychological life and. the Self is also an archetype. The next section analyzes similar parallels between the transcendent function and another archetype. Singer (1972) says that the “self embraces the whole of psychic totality. the Self. integral to Jung’s formulation of the Self is the idea that it is transpersonal. First. some brief foundational work regarding the Self in Jungian psychology is necessary. and in promoting individuation. which represents the center of the conscious part of psyche. Both are centrally involved in bringing about the dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious. This new centre might be called the self. 218). 20) that represents the potential of a person’s entire personality being developed. 239)
. to the impenetrable.70
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anima/animus.

p.’ which represents psychic totality. is the God within” (Storr. p. 22. 20). 219. This notion has been mentioned in several places. writing in the preface to the 1957 publication of Jung’s 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function. 1954/1958. . there is some evidence for this proposition in Jung’s works. 1983. p. 469). Near the end of his life.. In fact. The structures he enunciated thereafter may very well be further reﬁnements or explanations of the core process he called the transcendent function. 1973b. the self ” (p. The transcendent function was Jung’s ﬁrst conception of the interaction between consciousness and the unconscious. e. The issue of whether the Self guides the transcendent function or the transcendent function leads to the Self raises an intriguing possibility: that the Self and the transcendent function are different iterations of the same concept. having been replaced in a wider sense by the concept of the self ” ( Jung. 1957. Referring to this kind of relationship. p. fn 11) and refers to the deﬁnition of the transcendent function given in the deﬁnitions section of Psychological Types. its relationship with the transcendent function is multifaceted. 26). p. 166). Jung calls the Self a “God-image” (1951/1959. one might say that the Self is the force guiding individuation through the instrumentality of the transcendent function. p.
. Because of the multiple nature of the Self. Hillman. a process to which the transcendent function is integral. Jung referred several times to the union of conscious and unconscious as the Self. .Tracing the Transcendent Function
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This implies that the Self has aspects which may be called divine. 168). a symbol expressing either side in such a way that they can function together” (1973b. However.” states: “The term ‘transcendent function’. 1972. for example. p. He states: “The opposites are united by a neutral or ambivalent bridge. Another writer states ﬂatly. p. the Self might also be thought of as the goal towards which individuation and the transcendent function are striving. “The bridge is the ‘uniting symbol. Indeed. “The self . 3). The Self as a reiﬁcation of the transcendent function reprises the theme introduced in the previous section. 414). calls the transcendent function the “transitus to the self ” (1973b. Jung. 421). Jung all but admits that the transcendent function and the Self are two forms of the same concept. 1992. the Self is the “instigator of the process of individuation” (Singer. where earlier he had used the term transcendent function (see. the accompanying footnote states. Horne (1998) states that in the Self “Jung reiﬁes the transcendent function as a center of inﬂuence distinct from the ego” (p.g. used here for the ‘union of conscious and unconscious’. Viewed from this standpoint. one commentator described the transcendent function as “the spontaneous activity from the Self ” (Schellenbaum. 166). p. is not so much in use today. 1928/1953. Urban (1992) refers to the transcendent function as an “essential aspect” of the Self (p. p. 166. As the archetype of unity and totality. a union of consciousness and unconscious. 218). In a 1954 letter.

In “On the Psychology of the Unconscious”(1943/1953). so to speak. He proclaims in several key places that the transcendent function does not have such implications. in the very ﬁrst sentence of both versions of “The Transcendent Function. a manifestation of the energy that springs from the tension of the opposites. p. p.” he concluded that dreams were not an appropriate source of unconscious material for use in working with it. being beyond the control of man. Jung asserts that from the transcendent function “a creative solution emerges which is produced by the constellated archetype and possesses that compelling authority not unjustly
. Rather. Elsewhere. Jung uses almost identical language in Psychological Types (1921/1971. and it consists of a series of fantasy-occurrences which appear spontaneously in dreams and visions. a pure product of the unconscious” (1957/ 1960. 506). p. Jung calls a patient’s series of dreams “a guiding function” (1928/1953. Jung states: “It [the transcendent function] also shows that the phenomenon of spontaneous compensation. His other works also show repeated links between the dream and the transcendent function (see.. and describes the dreams as “self-representations of unconscious developments which allowed the psyche of the patient gradually to grow out of the pointless personal tie” (p. 134). 134). p. he acknowledged that the “dream is. p. (p. Jung says: It [the transcendent function] is a natural process. cites the transcendent function. This was not because Jung believed at that time that dreams did not adequately express unconscious contents. Jung is also contradictory about whether the transcendent function has some metaphysical or divine quality. in fact. discussions in 1984. in describing the synthetic method and the importance of the transcendent function to it. 1988b. for example. 77). 115).72
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Jung’s Inconsistencies Surrounding Dreams and the Divine Two other areas that deserve mention are the curious inconsistencies in Jung’s thinking about dreams and the divine. 77). is quite in accord with the formula ‘grace’ or the ‘will of God’ ” (1939/1958. Yet in other places Jung links the transcendent function with the divine generally and God speciﬁcally. 1988a. other writings of Jung tell us how valuable they are. As mentioned in chapter 2. he felt that dreams did not carry enough tension to prompt the transcendent function (p. “There is nothing mysterious or metaphysical about the term ‘transcendent function’” (1957. p. Indeed. In one place.18 The idea that dreams would be unsuitable to prompt a dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious seems shocking to a present-day Jungian. 69).g. when Jung wrote the original version of “The Transcendent Function. 80) In another discussion. e.” Jung asserts categorically. for example. 1957/1960. As if to directly answer his own assertions that dream images are unsuitable for use with the transcendent function. 1989b). 5.

and Plaut. 76) In Jung’s psychology. But the shadow does have a role in the Jungian paradigm that would merit connecting it to the transcendent function: it represents that which is inherently foreign or opposite to one’s conscious nature. It is surprising that we do not ﬁnd a single mention of the shadow in connection with the transcendent function. or spiritual in nature. dark side of the personality that is blocked out by the accepted. and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life. the blacker and denser it is. . Jung does link the transcendent function with the archetypes generally. the basic idea of shadow was the unacknowledged.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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characterized as the voice of God” (1958/1964. This is curious because this Jungian archetype seems to cry out for commentary about its relation to the transcendent function. Until we can recognize and integrate that which is unacceptable to us inside of ourselves. gave it no special treatment. To Jung. divine. But if it is repressed or isolated from consciousness. he never connects it to the shadow. “the ‘other person’ in one. p. One would think that one of the central roles of the transcendent function is to assist in accessing and integrating disowned parts of ourselves. conscious side: “ego stands to shadow as light to shade” (Samuels. Or it may be that Jung saw the transcendent function as more directly related to the Self. 138). though the shadow can never be eradicated. Shorter. we cannot grow to our full potential. 1986. Though. p. Jung succinctly described shadow as “the thing [a person] has no wish to be” (1946/1954. If an inferiority is conscious. It may be that Jung saw this archetypal ﬁgure as no more important than any other and. 262). Jung clearly pondered the notion that the transcendent function has a core quality that is metaphysical. it forms an unconscious snag. (p. as previously discussed. Yet the two concepts are never mentioned together. and is liable to burst forth suddenly in a moment of awareness. Elsewhere (1937/1958). thwarting our most wellmeant intentions. In these and other references19 Jung makes clear that he does see something spiritual or divine in the transcendent function. p. coming to terms with it is an integral step along the path of individuation. hence unconscious. one always has a chance to correct it. The Shadow: Relationship to the Transcendent Function Of the many references Jung makes to the transcendent function and its connections to other structures. Despite his protestations to the contrary. thus. Shorter. the shadow. . p. At all counts. he makes no separate mention of the shadow. he said: Everyone carries a shadow. it never gets corrected. Given
. and Plaut. 455). 1986. 138). one’s own dark side” (Samuels. .

Like trying to understand an excavated civilization. Jung’s discussions about the transcendent function in subsequent works can be summarized in four broad areas. ambiguous. First. form/matter. and that the role of the transcendent function is to unite opposites. Here. we might wonder whether the shadow. Let us try to sort through and synthesize this material. In our endeavor to unearth explanatory information about the transcendent function. The transcendent function is the mechanism through which the shadow will be brought into conversation with the ego and the opposites in each brought together. the transcendent function as the bridge between them. Jung posited the central role of fantasy and symbol. the greater became his need to formulate the transcendent function that bridges them.
INTEGRATING THE REFERENCES TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION Imagining that Jung would further develop the ideas he introduced in “The Transcendent Function. Propelled by Schiller’s theory that some third instinct bridges the chasm between opposites (what Schiller called the “play instinct”). What began as a mining expedition has become an archeological dig. and the synthetic view of psyche. like the archetypes discussed above. In two separate places in Psychological Types (1921/1971) Jung explains. these two concepts are clearly related. in a step-by-step fashion. Second. and introversion/extroversion in Psychological Types (1921/1971) led to his deeper belief in the dynamic opposition in the psyche. The picture becomes murkier in Jung’s later descriptions and references. Jung’s subsequent writings delved deeply into the actual mechanics of the transcendent function. though never discussed in connection with. again. others confusing. the transcendent function. we stumbled upon an entire subterranean village full of relationships with their attendant complexities and contradictions.74
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that the shadow embodies all that is unacceptable to the conscious ego. and even conﬂicting.” this chapter set about extracting the deeper ore from his other works. how the tension
. The original essay introduced us to relatively unequivocal core ideas: the dynamic opposition between conscious and unconscious. those later writings give us important clues about the source of his seminal idea of the transcendent function. might merely be Jung’s image of how the energies and images of the unconscious are voiced. which carries instinctual opposites in the unconscious. The shadow is clearly implicated by. that it resides as an archetypal energy in the unconscious. The greater Jung’s conviction in the opposites inherent in psychological life. certain clues are clear and consistent. personifies or ﬂows from the transcendent function. the foundation of his imaginal psychology. We saw how his work with fundamental antitheses of idea/thing. This structure.

the efforts of a person.
. other times saying it was complementary or compensatory. in Jung’s thinking about the transcendent function.” while in others he emphasized the control of the directed ego in the process. they also manifest entirely in a conscious way. • Sometimes Jung said that the transcendent function is a natural process which proceeds independently of. a changed situation. or the ﬁnal product that emerges. while in many other places shows how dreams are invaluable. Belying the apparent simplicity and clarity of the transcendent function enunciated in the original essay. sometimes saying that the unconscious opposes consciousness. yet makes many references to it being connected to. • Jung sometimes states that dreams are unsuitable for work with the transcendent function. the process of bringing them into contact. • In some places Jung describes the Self as guiding the process of individuation and the transcendent function. or at least ambiguities. a new attitude. the method used to create a dialogue. in others the Self is their goal or the ﬁnal outcome. • Jung was unclear as to whether opposites always reside in consciousness vs. even despite. leads to a dialogue mediated through fantasy and symbol.Tracing the Transcendent Function
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of the opposites in consciousness and the unconscious. if held properly by the individual. the transcendent function changes over time in Jung’s thinking. among which are the following: • Jung was not consistent on the opposites. the unconscious or whether. these inconsistencies lead inescapably to several hypotheses: the transcendent function is more complex than the original essay apprehended. at times. • Jung was inconsistent on whether the transcendent function describes the relationship between conscious and unconscious. even guided by. while at others he said that it could be prompted or inhibited. a review of the subsequent works unearthed signiﬁcant contradictions. This process is then repeated over and over again as the individual proceeds down the road of psychological growth uniting more and more opposites and facing new sets of opposites. • Jung denies that the transcendent function is metaphysical or spiritual in nature. • In some places Jung said that reason was insufﬁcient to bridge the opposites and that they could only be reconciled “irrationally. Third. out of which ﬂows the potential for the emergence of a third thing. the Divine.

the transcendent function deﬁes clarity because it embodies an archetypal kind of exchange between conscious and unconscious which. the Self. and individuation. Each concept is tied to and inextricably intertwined with the others. making it difﬁcult to touch one without implicating the others. one moment appearing in one guise. Jung’s writings drew critical links between the transcendent function and other key elements of his psychology: the opposites. or that some combination of these is at work. That centrality is the subject of the next chapter. the synthetic view of psyche.76
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the transcendent function has different faces. This exploration of the connections reveals the central role that the transcendent function played in Jung’s thinking and in the way he conceptualized the workings of psyche. the anima/animus. like any archetype. This chapter conceptualized these connections as a web. the archetypes. Finally. the collective unconscious.
. the next in another. cannot be described exactly in the abstract but rather can only be discussed as it manifests in a particular instance.

If the Jungian paradigm is pictured as a web of intertwined concepts. all core Jungian ideas. each of which somehow implicates the others. grows out of the idea of the transcendent function. at the very least. is either synonymous with or. images. for example. the concept of the Self. the central organizing archetype that guides us toward individuation. What emerged from the analysis of the references in the last chapter is that the transcendent function is implicated by and inextricably intertwined with most. if not all. Up to now. brings this work to a new level. fantasy. At least one other author agrees with this assertion. for which Jung is perhaps most identiﬁed in the world of psychology. The idea of archetypes. we have been viewing the transcendent function as one of a number of distinct pieces of Jung’s paradigm. symbol. Jung’s seminal idea about a purposive psyche pulling us forward in a teleological way. that the transcendent function is linked with virtually all the concepts that are at the core of Jung’s psychology. Similarly. Individuation. This notion of libido as “pur-
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. Analogous kinds of critical links have been drawn between the transcendent function and the opposites. Horne (1998) states bluntly: Assimilation of the anima/animus to create a bridge or link between consciousness and the unconscious is very closely connected conceptually with the transcendent function. is fundamentally dependent on the transcendent function since no communication or settlement is possible with the energies. and messages they represent without the mediation of the transcendent function. it may very well be the core concept from which the others ﬂow. it would be no exaggeration to say that the transcendent function lies at or near the center of that web.CHAPTER FOUR
THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AS THE CORE OF JUNG’S WORK
The concluding point of the previous chapter. of Jung’s other seminal ideas. cannot occur without the constant and repeated operation of the transcendent function. Indeed.

It was only in so doing that it became clear how fundamental the transcendent function was to Jung’s thinking. and everything else that Jung proposed represented merely a reﬁnement or differentiation of that phenomenon. p. 1992. Enunciated immediately after Jung emerged from his own confrontation with the unconscious. Even when the transcendent function was the focus of the Twelfth International Congress for Analytical Psychology in Chicago in August. or individuation. depth psychology. fantasy and symbol. and had certainly not fully developed his theories regarding dreams. the concept and practice of a dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious through which psyche transforms itself in some imaginal way. and the synthetic view of psyche.” he had not conceived of or written about the archetypes.78
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posive” was only the ﬁrst step in a series of theoretical insights that led Jung to the transcendent function. 25) Given this centrality. it is rarely identiﬁed as a core concept. Put another way. (1998.
THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AS JUNG’S ROOT METAPHOR Let us take a further step. the anima/ animus. the heart of his paradigm. the interchange of information and images between consciousness and the unconscious. What emerged ﬁrst for Jung was the transcendent function. p. 1993) did not generally capture its centrality. the Self. the shadow. Horne offers a similar view when he calls the transcendent function “the heart of [ Jung’s] paradigm” (1998. 25). Though frequently mentioned in writings on Jung’s psychology. the writing of the transcendent function in 1916 was an attempt to give voice to his own indescribable experience of coming to terms with the unknown in the unconscious. the concomitant structures and theories developed out of that basic premise. its importance did not emerge to this author until after doing the research for this work. Frankly. This is why we see the transcendent function emerge in the development and discussion of each of the other key concepts in Jung’s writings. the transcendent function is Jung’s root metaphor for psyche itself or for becoming psychological and is the wellspring from whence ﬂowed much of the rest of Jung’s imaginal. it is mystifying that there has not been more written about the transcendent function. the opposites. and likely the most fundamental source of his separation from Freud. The other foundational concepts in Jung’s psy-
. At the time Jung wrote the original version of “The Transcendent Function. the papers presented there (Mattoon. Taking the analysis in the preceding chapter and this one together leads us to a powerful proposition: that beyond its stated role in uniting the opposites. the transcendent function is Jung’s attempt to describe the most fundamental depth psychological activity.

200). it is not susceptible to a single description but has various facets. As Jung brought the transcendent function into the discussion of other topics in his psychology. Seen in this way. images of the transcendent functions: (1) the “narrow” transcendent function.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE EXPANSIVE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION BEYOND JUNG The expansive transcendent function is an idea with obvious implications beyond Jung and his psychology. priceless gem. 68). as he states elsewhere. the root metaphor for psyche or being psychological that subsumes Jung’s pantheon and that apprehends the most fundamental psychic activity of interacting with the unknown or “other. we can see them as his attempts to explicate and more fully explore the multiple expressions of a broad.” As Jung wrote in the prefatory note to the revised version of “The Transcendent Function” (1957/1960). the function or process within Jung’s pantheon of psychic structures. Thus. To put it another way. its different aspects were revealed. written just two years before Jung’s death. since the transcendent function is a root metaphor. and conceptually different.Transcendent Function as the Core of Jung’s Work
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chology all ﬂesh out the way consciousness and the unconscious speak to one another. The dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious is too broad a concept to be described in a singular way. also written near the end of his life. Or. the transcendent function results in a psychic shift. “For the unconscious is not this thing or that. instead of seeing Jung’s various descriptions of the transcendent function as ambiguities or inconsistencies. The transcendent function became the undifferentiated core of Jung’s psychology out of which the other concepts differentiate or emerge. we begin to see two distinct. Indeed. p. is illustrative of the expansive view of the transcendent function. and (2) the “expansive” transcendent function. root metaphor. Perhaps this also explains. some of the ambiguities and inconsistencies in Jung’s descriptions of the transcendent function. the transcendent function
. it is the Unknown as it immediately affects us” (p. “But an alteration is possible only if the existence of the ‘other’ is admitted” (1955. at least in part. like an attempt to describe the various faces of a unique. Reenvisioned from this perspective. This statement. it may have been the working of the transcendent function for Jung personally that allowed him to access the unconscious in a way that led to the formulation of the other aspects of his psychology. generally seen as the uniting of the opposites of consciousness and the unconscious from which a new attitude emerges.

If the transcendent function is a root metaphor for psyche itself or for becoming psychological. what is it trying to show us about psyche? What does it tell us about becoming psychological? Is the transcendent function reﬂective of some other archetypal expression of psyche? How does the transcendent function as a root metaphor appear more broadly in our lives? The formulation of the expansive transcendent function and the transcendent function as a metaphor plunge this work into deeper territory. a moment that is recapitulated whenever anyone manages to become psychological” (p. but as a moment in the history of the evolution of the psychological attitude. the heart of the transcendent function involves three separate ideas.
THE CORE OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION In order to explore the deeper roots of the transcendent function. it would stand to reason that we might be able to identify concepts in the thinking and writing of others that are similar. one might imagine things like it in other schools of psychology. ultimately the transcendent function may be the expression of a larger psychological endeavor to reconcile fundamental ontological quandaries. Jung’s speciﬁc formulation of the transcendent function is that it mediates between consciousness and the unconscious. The present work asserts that the transcendent function is an archetypal process expressing the autochthonous urge of psyche to plunge through binary oppositions in order to ﬁnd the relations between apparently antithetical elements.” “me” and “not-me. Indeed. What are the key components of the transcendent function? If it is a metaphor. In fact. It is by no means monolithic. The transcendent function is present as a root metaphor whenever we engage the unknown or “other” in an effort to deepen and become more psychological. it mediates not only between consciousness and the unconscious but also between “I” and “other. parallel. and more importantly. transformation through the liminal spaces between such opposing forces. 118). we must identify and analyze the ideas at its core. First. or analogous to core ideas of the transcendent function. “Jung’s identiﬁcation of the transcendent function must be seen not merely as an event in his own history. however. psychic struggle between consciousness and the unconscious or between polarized segments of consciousness. then two crucial things follow. it is a mediatory phenomenon. mechanisms that mediate such antitheses. Does it ﬁnd expression in other theories? And if it is a metaphor.80
The Transcendent Function
replicates psyche itself and being psychological.” known and unknown. Second. As Beebe (1992) says. It is this mediating endeavor of the transcendent func-
. The idea of the transcendent function as a root metaphor is crucial to and frames the remainder of this book. First. Viewed more expansively. and a third thing emerging from the struggle of the two can be found in other areas of psychology.

The kind of shift prompted by the transformational aspect of the transcendent function might be thought of as more profound and purposeful than a mere transition to a new conscious attitude. p. the interplay of the basic elements and the multiple nature of the transcendent function might be represented schematically as follows: living. I and other. Through a bridging of consciousness and the unconscious. individuation)
▲
consciousness. We must be clear here. A third idea central to the transcendent function (particularly when viewed from the expansive perspective) is transformation. These three different core ideas of the transcendent function are obviously related. or other and have an exchange with it (and/or them). These distinctions will become more evident as we investigate the parallels between the transcendent function and concepts from other areas of psychology. It enables us to encounter the unconscious. This transformational aspect confronts the individual with something larger than the ego. unknown. The mediatory aspect of the transcendent function does not guarantee transition.” that allows us to suspend the “either/or” choice between antitheses (or apparent antitheses) and entertain the notion that there might be a “neither/nor” space between them. me known transcendent function (via fantasy and symbol) (neither/nor space)
➔
➔
unconscious other/not-me unknown
. part of the individuation process. the so-called “third thing” (1957/1960. a transition is potentiated. guiding the individual to the person he or she is meant to be. Jung’s writings make it clear that the transcendent function’s role goes beyond mediation and transition. Transition and transformation cannot occur without mediation. I. mediation can occur without either of the other two eventuating. Or mediation can lead to transition in conscious attitude without any deeper transformation. the transcendent function has a transitional character. often referred to as “holding the tension of the opposites.Transcendent Function as the Core of Jung’s Work
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tion. me and not-me. a new conscious attitude is made possible. 90). he was also clear that antitheses may be also be mediated so that they merely coexist and no transition occurs. it potentiates it. something even numinous and holy. third thing (new attitude) (transformation. On the other hand. by allowing the neither/nor. Second. For purposes of the investigation below. It is teleological in nature. Though Jung felt that the dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious often leads to transition.

I have identiﬁed and diagramed it in the previous section of this chapter. about the core of the transcendent function. The material that follows in chapter 5 is an analysis of those resonances. though the elements of the transcendent function can be found in the theories of other. It prompted in me not only an intellectual attraction but deeply psychological. The transcendent part of the transcendent function is the third idea that forms its core: transformation. That is the focus of the next chapter where the transcendent function will be compared and contrasted with a number of other ideas.82
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The schematic is intended to show the opposites of consciousness/the unconscious. emotional. me/not-me. both from other schools of depth psychology and from non-depth paradigms. What separates Jung’s thinking from the others is the idea that the confrontation between or holding of the opposites potentiates a transformation. as I studied and became acquainted with various psychological theories and constructs. Subsequently. It is this second image that has led us to imply. the either/or). However. resonances with the transcendent function were apparent. This comparative analysis comes directly from my own experience and interest. we pursue two simultaneous movements: one that identiﬁes the transcendent function as the core of Jung’s psychology and one that paints it with broader. and the new situation.. there are ways in which the transcendent function fundamentally differs from or transcends them. the mediating transcendent function (the neither/nor space where the antitheses are suspended). my goal is just the opposite. known/unknown (i. The process has four distinct elements: the two opposing forces (the either/or). third thing. The danger in a comparative study is that the transcendent function will become diluted or weakened so that we become confused about its very nature. Early in the course of graduate studies I read “The Transcendent Function” and was moved deeply by it. being suspended or held in the neither/nor ﬁeld of the transcendent function. however.
. In order to be explicit. Showing how the transcendent function and its components appear in the theories of others is designed to deepen our understanding of it and them. a new. indeed state directly. that the concepts that make up the transcendent function might be found in the ideas of others. even archetypal strokes. followed by a movement upward (or forward) to the new attitude or third thing. the living third thing that is the result of the transitional and transformational role of the transcendent function.e. even physiological responses as well. I/other. Paradoxically. Other theories are similar in their mediatory and transitional aspects but do not plunge as deeply as does Jung into the area of transformation.1
THE TRANSCENDENCE OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION In this pivotal chapter.

the unique nature of the transcendent function becomes apparent. which some have incorrectly labeled as identical to the transcendent function. added to the mediatory and transitional qualities that separates the transcendent function from the other theories we will compare it to in the following chapter. and that has a certain numinosity. the expansive transcendent function. Yet the whole idea of the transcendent function is that such polarities are not either/or propositions but rather ones to be held so that through the tension of holding them. This concept is difﬁcult to grasp but is critical to a complete understanding of the transcendent function. It is something wholly different. the idea that the transcendent function transcends them. for example. the core of his paradigm. the proposition that there are similarities between the concepts which form the transcendent function and the theories of others vs. something new can emerge. the transformational jump in consciousness. that is purposeful. a synthesis emerges. He sees the emergent product not as an amalgam of the two but something new. That is why fantasy and symbol are so critical to the Jungian formulation. even holy overtones is that it does not produce a linear. Hegel posited that through the opposition thesis and antitheses. in this pivotal chapter we are left with some key polarities: the transcendent function as a component of Jung’s thinking vs. That is the goal of the ﬁnal three chapters. Thus. numinous. The reason that the operation of the transcendent function has such mysterious.Transcendent Function as the Core of Jung’s Work
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Furthermore. not mixes the opposing parts of the psyche. a third thing that transcends.
. Jung’s formulation of the transcendent function as the engine of individuation is singular in the emergence of something that transcends ego. rational result. If one compares it to Hegel’s dialectic. the narrow transcendent function vs. for it is only through them that psyche can break free of the limits and bondage of the opposites and experience a quantum leap to something new. But Jung would see that formulation as limited and inaccurate when it comes to psychic growth. It is this irrational leap of faith.

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particularly when viewed in its more expansive form. the emergence of something larger than the ego that is purposeful. and the potentiating of a transformation are all seminal and singular.CHAPTER FIVE
THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AND THE THEORIES OF OTHERS
Though Jung may have been the ﬁrst to explore this kind of mediatory and transitional activity in such detail. The following sections explore ideas and structures that in some way reﬂect aspects of the transcendent function. Much of psychology struggles with fundamental opposites such as self/other. some might say that without the characteristics just enunciated. known/ unknown. No effective theory of psychology can exist without a concept that carries some of the properties of the transcendent function. An analysis of the similarities and differences between other ideas and the transcendent function can serve as the vessel through which the differences can be held to allow deeper material
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. His thinking regarding the dynamic opposition of the psyche. Indeed. This should not be surprising. conscious/unconscious. even numinous and holy. That is a fair statement. Indeed. This chapter is not intended to imply that the transcendent function is the same as or even directly analogous to the theories and structures discussed here. Depth psychology speciﬁcally is fundamentally grounded in ﬁnding mediatory vehicles to expose contents of the unconscious so that consciousness can transition. others enunciate ideas and structures that reﬂect aspects of the transcendent function. parts of those ideas and the basic notion of a psychological function mediating between consciousness and the unconscious or between different parts of consciousness can be found in the writings of others. However. Despite differences in orientation. the transcendent function is not present. the role of fantasy and symbol in mediating such antitheses. inner/outer. many schools endeavor to bring these dualities into conversation. me/not-me. Jung is unique and extraordinary in his formulation of these matters.

1991. p.” the child may not fulﬁll its inborn drive to develop in a particular way.” and feels anxious about both the separation from mother and its own survival. and dreaming— also serve the child in having a me-yet-not-me. 68) Winnicott also asserted that certain phenomena and activities—cooing. Winnicott. Winnicott theorized that critical to the child’s adapting to the realization/fear of separation in the relative dependence stage are what he called “transitional objects” and “transitional phenomena” (see. although ﬁlled with the latter two.86
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to emerge. The transitioning experience occurs as a result of the “me-yet-not-me” character of the transitional object (Eigen. are used by the child as a bridge out of absolute dependence into relative dependence. and ultimately comprehend in a more profound way its importance to the psychological endeavor. p. W..
WINNICOTT: TRANSITIONAL OBJECTS AS MEDIATING ELEMENTS A close analogy to Jung’s transcendent function is found in the ideas of D.1 Winnicott saw transitional objects/phenomena as critical in introducing the child to play. 1991. 1994. He posited that objects such as blankets and stuffed animals. fantasizing. p. creativity. recognizes an “out there. the child lets go of dependence on mother by bonding with an object that represents both mother and itself: Transitional objects. . p. They are something less than mother and me. They are “something else”— something other than mother and me.” realizes there is a “me” separate from “not me. 69. He laid out three phases of developmental dependence: absolute dependence in which the infant cannot differentiate itself from the environment and is unable to distinguish between “me” and “not me” (Summers. . 148). 1953. Eigen.g. 100. and an intermediate area of experience between reality and fantasy:
. 1991. Such a comparison can help us understand the transcendent function. repeating songs. although feelings of mother and self are invested in them. (p. 1994. Summers. e. thumb-sucking. transitional experience (Cwik. Winnicott. and something more. 139). . rocking. 67). Winnicott posited that if the mother’s care is not “good enough. 1971). are not mother or self. relative dependence (commencing at about six months) in which the infant becomes aware of objects. babbling. which symbolically contain part of the child and part of mother. p. Grounded in the idea that the dependence relationship between child and mother is crucial. and toward independence in which the infant actually begins to separate. place it within the context of other theories. In addition to soothing the child’s separation anxiety and beginning the process of building a sense of self.

then. Indeed. the play instinct” (1921/1971. could only be united by “a third instinct. 515). Winnicott saw transitional objects and phenomena both as early developmental tools and as ongoing mechanisms that create an intermediate area between reality and fantasy. is at the border between them. Steelman (1991) believed that Jung’s work on fantasy anticipated Winnicott’s ideas about play by several decades (p. an intermediate area of experience lying between reality and fantasy [citations omitted]. Thus. either overly concretized in reality or separated from reality in fantasy. Jung chooses to call the third instinct “fantasy activity. which is creative and receptive at once” (pp. “By deﬁnition. a person would develop a false self. subject/object. In chapter 2 of Psychological Types. i. spirituality/sensuality. Winnicott’s play and Jung’s fantasy are the terrain upon which the phenomena occur. self and other. a liminal space that has a crucial role in mental health. the transitional object begins the world of illusion and prepares the way for play in childhood. p. Another key parallel between Winnicott’s transitional phenomena and Jung’s transcendent function is the crucial role each has in bringing a person
. One can see here the direct analogy to the transcendent function.e. 106). Winnicott’s formulation of transitional objects/phenomena and the importance of play are analogous to Jung’s formulation of the transcendent function and the importance of symbol and fantasy. The transcendent function is a transitional phenomenon and transitional phenomena are examples of the transcendent function. 149) Winnicott viewed the intermediate area between reality and fantasy as necessary not only to child development but also to adult mental health.” He felt that without being able to experience the liminal space between reality and fantasy. It is illusory. Both serve as bridges between ontological antagonisms such as self/other. 107). inner/outer through a liminal experience that allows the opposites to be held side by side. thinking/feeling. in an intermediate area” (p. 106– 07) and says “this is the function Schiller calls the play instinct” (p. 1994.Transcendent Function and Theories of Others
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The paradox of the transitional object is that it is neither real nor delusional. Child’s play. Both describe a mediatory space where opposites are suspended or united. p.2 particularly in locating what he called the “True Self. the transitional object is neither inner nor outer but rather partakes of both. The nexus between these two concepts can also be seen in the direct connection drawn between fantasy and play in Jung’s early writings about the transcendent function. As Barkin (1978) says. (Summers. where Jung explains how the transcendent function operates through symbol and fantasy. inner and outer. according to Winnicott. 156). for example. According to Winnicott (1971). Winnicott’s play and Jung’s fantasy are analogous territories where liminal experiences can happen. he refers to Schiller’s theory that the fundamental opposites of form/ matter. is based on giving an illusory meaning to something real.

1991. and ﬁnding one’s True Self. (Eigen. What a distance traversed in Winnicott’s paper on transitional experiencing! From a discussion of concrete objects clung to by infants to a missing sense of realness in an adult patient. Jung’s transcendent function is a part of his all-encompassing theory of opposites. Winnicott’s concept can be analogized to the transcendent function as follows: integration of opposites (toward individuation)
▲
(role of symbol/fantasy)
relative independence (toward True Self )
me/inner
➔
transitional objects transitional phenomena (role of play)
On the other hand. . . His example of an adult woman’s missing sense of realness announces the central theme of his mature clinical writings: the search for a real or True Self. play. p. Using the diagrammatic schema used above. the intermediate area. the concepts of Jung and Winnicott have some important differences.88
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to his or her unique individuality. Winnicott’s transitional phenomena are much more focused on a few. the wonder of illusion. fantasy and symbol are constantly at work attempting to reconcile innumerable pairs of opposites. sustain. though important. pairs of
➔
▲
➔
the unconscious
➔ transcendent function
consciousness
not-me/outer
. and live from True Self feeling. individuation. some in a world that is too realistic. . Just as Jung drew connections between the transcendent function. Some live in a fantasy world. . is deﬁcient. The ﬁrst possession with which Winnicott was concerned was the patient’s own. What he is most vexed with in his adult patients is their missing sense of realness. the mediatory and transitional experiences they posited have central roles in the development of the individual. 73) For both Jung and Winnicott. The experience of the between. and the Self. . . most real and True Self. their failure to link up with. so Winnicott interrelated transitional phenomena.

and at the same time the analyst and the analysand (qua analyst and analysand) are created by the analytic third. Winnicott’s theories of transitional objects and phenomena evince analogies to the transcendent function. no analysand. they focus more on being able to fully experience rather than on moving toward some grander purpose. it unites opposites as part of a grander plan of individuation guided by the Self. Nevertheless. One might say that Winnicott’s theory contains the mediatory and transitional aspects of the transcendent function but lacks its transformative character. no analysis in the absence of the third. One becomes aware that the ﬁeld has its own
. though Winnicott stated that transitional objects/phenomena have signiﬁcance throughout one’s life. espouses that the ﬁeld is created by the interaction of the subjectivity of the analyst and analysand. historical acquisitions—object relations—mix and combine with an objective substratum. (There is no analyst. The psychoanalytic view. the transitional object/phenomenon is devoid of the kind of numinous and transformative qualities that Jung attributed to the transcendent function. subject/object. Jung’s collective unconscious. 93) Analytical psychology holds that there is a similar kind of ﬁeld but that it is created at the intersection of the analysand’s individual subjectivity and the archetypal processes of the collective unconscious. In addition. Jung’s transcendent function is essentially teleological. and of the analytic third. Winnicott’s theories about transitional phenomena and play are less purposeful. focusing on personal history. The analytic third is the creation of the analyst and analysand. more phenomenological. Both in their mediating/transitional functions and in their roles of assisting the emergence of the individual. these vehicles show important similarities. his theory is largely developmental while Jung’s transcendent function is more explicitly ubiquitous to psyche. Finally.Transcendent Function and Theories of Others
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opposites: inner/outer. of the analysand. Further. personal. reality/fantasy. Ogden (1994) summarizes this view by describing the “analytic third”: The analytic process reﬂects the interplay of three subjectivities: the subjectivity of the analyst.) (p.
THE ANALYTIC FIELD: THE THIRD AS MEDIATING AGENT An interesting and important application of the transcendent function emerges in the recent work on the presence of a “ﬁeld” between or around the analyst and analysand. Schwartz-Salant (1995) postulates an “interactive ﬁeld” combining the subjective dimensions of the psychoanalytic ﬁeld and the objective dimensions of the ﬁeld in analytical psychology: In this conception of a ﬁeld.

simultaneously. 5). . even to know or understand whether the material is emerging from the analysand or analyst. . These iterations of the analytical ﬁeld are integral to the clinical practice of depth psychology. third thing that emerges from the dialogue between the conscious and unconscious. The interactive ﬁeld is in between the ﬁeld of the collective unconscious and the realm of subjectivity. Yet the discovery of these dynamics is only possible by experiencing them through the individual and combined subjectivities of both people. In the same way that the transcendent function is a living. As Schwartz-Salant (1995) describes: One must be willing to sacriﬁce the power of knowing “whose content” one is dealing with and instead imagine that the content . which are separate from and independent of the individuals. while at the same time including them both. exists in the ﬁeld itself and does not necessarily belong to either person. 1946/1954) in which the conscious positions of both people and their unconscious components all have an impact on the analysis.90
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dynamics. the analytic ﬁeld is evident only when the analyst and analysand relinquish the need to know or understand. This view of the analytic situation focuses the analyst’s attention not on solving the analysand’s problems but rather on contacting and harnessing the power of a third presence. Such a notion of the ﬁeld—an understanding of which actively includes both subjective and objective dimensions—can be called the interactive ﬁeld [footnote omitted]. As SchwartzSalant (1995) states. . Just as the transcendent function only takes effect when the Self is able to withdraw attachment from both the opposites. “The ﬁeld becomes a presence that both people are inside of and. . They reﬂect the perspective that the analytic situation is cocreated by its participants and has a separate presence. allowing it to sink into the unconscious to retrieve the reconciling symbol. (p. 2) In the omitted footnote. Schwartz-Salant comments that his interactive ﬁeld concept is really just an ampliﬁcation of Jung’s idea of the ﬁeld as enunciated in his quaternity model of transference ( Jung. 5)
. the analytic third is an autonomous entity that emerges from a psychic dialogue between the analyst and analysand. . observers of ” (p. From this perspective. Both the analyst and analysand experience and receive information from the ﬁeld. The two are also similar in the way in which they both demand surrender of attachment to preconceived structures. The content can be imaginally thrust into the ﬁeld that analyst and analysand occupy together so that it becomes a “third thing” (p. healing comes not from the analyst to the analysand but from the analytic third to both.

both provide ways to step outside of the bonds of previous conceptions. Both emerge from a kind of tension of polarities. . one might postulate that the analytic ﬁeld is an instance of the transcendent function emerging in the analytic situation. Paradoxically. we see in the concept of the analytic third forms and structures that are very similar to the transcendent function. For example.
FREUD AND EGO PSYCHOLOGY: THE EGO AS A MEDIATING STRUCTURE At ﬁrst blush. New forms that order affects. 1995. p. which were previously overwhelming and fragmenting.Transcendent Function and Theories of Others
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Another parallel can be seen in the way a union or reconciliation emerges. 6) The last sentence points to the ﬁnal point of comparison. . Schwartz-Salant (1995) identiﬁes the joining or coniunctio that occurs interactive ﬁeld: It is what occurs for the participants afterwards that distinguishes the notion of the interactive ﬁeld. can come into existence. a state of joining can be experienced by both parties—not a fusing that blurs boundaries. 9) Thus. the ultimate impact of the analytic ﬁeld is the transformation of internal structures. (p. the analytic ﬁeld produces a kind of union between the analyst and analysand. 1998. The transcendent function yields a uniting of the opposites. both operate to create a kind of coniuncto. (Schwartz-Salant. . Like the transcendent function. Experiencing it opens one to the sense of mystery that can be transformative. and what in alchemy is known as the coniunctio. p. but a rhythmical process in which the ﬁeld itself is felt to have its own dynamic. Just as the transcendent function’s telos is a shift or change of attitude. there are important parallels between the roles of the transcendent function in Jungian psychology and the
. the transcendent function stands as the “most fundamental source of his separation from Freud” (Horne. much as a vision or “big” dream can be fateful. 25). comparisons between Jung and Freud on the idea of the transcendent function might appear inapposite. the analytic third ushers into reality potentials that were previously unintegrated: Experiencing the ﬁeld and being changed by its process is a way of transforming internal structures. As the core of Jung’s prospective view of psychic energy that rejects Freud’s purely reductive view. and both are integrally involved in transformation. Indeed. This experience is akin to what the ancients called the sacred marriage.

Though the ego has a mediating function. A second interesting parallel is in the nature of the mediatory functions in each: the ego.3 the structural model gives equal emphasis to the forces opposing the drives. the ego’s function is to mediate between the demands of the unconscious id and the consciousness of the external world in the Freudian. the structural model posits that psychological health depends on the ability of the ego to manage these conﬂicting demands (Summers. containing the inherited instincts (primarily sexuality and aggression). Put simply. In contrast to Freud’s earlier topographical model which gave exclusive primacy to drives. the similarities can be represented as follows: reconciled opposites change in attitude
▲
the unconscious
psychological heath adaptive organism
drives of the id
➔
ego
Still. Viewed schematically. resides in both consciousness and the unconscious. the ego assumed a central role in psychic functioning: balancing the drives of the id on the one hand and the demands of the external world and the ideals of the superego on the other (Freud. 1994. the mechanisms of ego psychology have some similarities. p. 1940/1949. 15). Freud’s structural theory posits three psychic agencies: the id.92
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ego in Freudian psychology. p. First. Though very different from the transcendent function. 4). a special agency containing the individual’s basic moral training and ideal aspirations. With this theoretical shift. and the superego. Freud sees it as more a psychic manager or adaptive mechanism than an agency of transition or transformation. structural model much as the transcendent function’s role is to mediate the opposites of the unconscious and consciousness in the Jungian. the ego. comprising a group of functions orienting the individual to the outside world. constructive model. This likely ﬂows
➔
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➔ transcendent function
consciousness
superego ideals/ external demands
.4 allowing it (like the symbol) to act as a reconciling bridge between consciousness and the unconscious. there are crucial differences and distinctions. like the symbol that is the core of the transcendent function.

Michael Fordham. the selfobject is not the object at all but rather the infant’s intrapsychic representation of the object. xv)6 and is built up gradually by accretion through interactions. third thing. Most importantly. like Schiller. while Freud’s ego merely effects a compromise between consciousness and the unconscious. Freud’s ego is not speciﬁcally stated to be mediating between consciousness and the unconscious but between the drives of the id on the one hand and external reality and the superego on the other. 1977. p. p. A further distinction is that Freud. and James Hillman all reﬂect structures or concepts in which pieces of the transcendent function can be seen. which are key to the development of the Kohutian self. Since external reality and the superego have both conscious and unconscious components aspects. FORDHAM. the emergence of a new. not simply an interpersonal process” (p. the infant receives disconcerting. or afﬁrming responses. the analogy with Jung’s model is not exact. However.Transcendent Function and Theories of Others
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from a fundamental difference in the psychologies of the two men: Jung’s was synthetic and prospective while Freud’s was regressive and reductive. 28). with those around the infant. if. the self structure accretes and builds. To the extent the child receives mirroring. As Corbett (1989) states it: “Kohut stresses that the selfobject is an intrapsychic phenomenon. 105) through fantasy and symbol. KLEIN.
.5 Kohut’s self is “the way a person experiences himself as himself ” (Kohut. 1921/1971. attuned.” Unlike Jung’s Self which is present and complete from conception. Secondly. posits a process of development of the self that depends heavily on a mediating and transitional structure he called the “selfobject. creating accretions to or deﬁcits in the self structure. however. technically speaking. for example. it is not the physical being called mother but rather the emotional and psychological image that the baby carries of mother. the similarity in the two paradigms is striking since the central thrust of the mediatory function in both is between the untamed passions/drives of the unconscious and the reality of consciousness. Selfobjects.
OTHER DEPTH ANALOGIES: KOHUT. transformative step forward while between Freud’s would produce more of a management or coping function. or abusive reactions. more or less like holes in Swiss cheese. aggressive. sees the mediatory function being centered in the reasoning ego. for example. Nevertheless. Kohut’s self psychology (also sometimes called the theory of narcissistic development). both positive and negative. AND HILLMAN The theories of Hans Kohut. Jung rejects the proposition that uniting opposites is a “task of reason” and says they can only be united “irrationally” ( Jung. It is not surprising that a mediation between Jung’s opposites would dictate a prospective. a deﬁcit in self ensues. Jung’s transcendent function potentiates a consciousness-changing event. are loosely speaking the people (generally family members) with whom the infant interacts. Melanie Klein.

7 Here we do not suggest that the selfobject is either identical to or directly analogous to the transcendent function. Just as opposites are united by the transcendent function. believing that it is now capable of doing injury. Melanie Klein’s object relations theory of development also has interesting parallels to the transcendent function. Klein called this stage the depressive position because the infant now realizes it can injure its loved ones. 1994.94
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The selfobject plays a developmental role bearing similarities to parts of the transcendent function and Winnicott’s transitional object: it mediates ontological opposites (reality/illusion. 1994. and me/not-me) that is similar in concept to the transcendent function. inner/outer. it is clear that the transition involves a key psychological integration. The selfobject is a symbolic ( Jungian). the depressive position has elements in common with the transcendent function. p. the selfobject is neither the actual object (e. it creates a mediatory realm of experience where an exchange between “me” and “other” can take place with the result being a new thing. Though quite different from the Jungian paradigm. Movement to the depressive position occurs if early positive experiences and the child’s innate libido are strong enough to produce a solid “internalized good object” (Summers. destructive drives. the selfobject creates a neither/nor solution to an either/or problem.89). p. The paranoid position dominates the ﬁrst three to six months of life and is characterized by the infant splitting both objects (outside) and its own ego (inside) into good and bad to protect against its own aggressive. Like the transcendent function.8 sufﬁce it to say for our purposes that at its core is the developmental movement from the “paranoid position” to the “depressive position” (Summers. here progress toward the developing self. the infant goes from experiences of “part objects” to “whole objects” (p. 89) and moves from a place of victim to more of a “feeling of power” (p.
. 88). the depressive position mediates a fundamental either/or quandary and moves it to a space where both coexist. together for the developing self. the child’s psychological experience of himself or herself. mother) nor the child’s mere projections but something in between. the antitheses of good and bad in the paranoid position are brought together in the depressive position. the emerging ego begins to conceptualize that the good and bad objects it had previously split are indeed one and the same. only that it plays a role in Kohut’s model of the developing personality (providing a bridge between the fundamental antitheses of reality/illusion. me-not-me (Winnicottian) experience that brings fantasy/reality. the accreted part of the self structure. Though Klein did not enunciate any clear mechanism for how one moves beyond the paranoid stage and into the depressive. inner/outer) to allow a transition to a third thing. In Winnicottian terms. In Kleinian parlance. Like the transcendent function. Though the details of her theory are far beyond the scope of this work.g. 74). inner/outer.. like the transitional object.

and fantasy. In this paradigm. e. and experience. soothed. organization. requires soothing. whose ideas are sometimes characterized as a Jungian-Kleinian hybrid. space. The deintegration-reintegration cycle. each of which internalizes its own experience of a joint interaction. where the desiccated surface of occurrence is turned.11 where meaning becomes possible. imagination. mediates between conscious and unconscious states and helps a person move from fragmented or opposite states to integrated ones. and individuation. development. needs its diaper changed. Solomon (1992) noted that the deintegration-reintegration cycle and the transcendent function were both “expressions in psychological language with origins in dialectical philosophy” (p. As he states further: I and the Other can be thought of as elements. 1985). Fordham. The infant is then fed. He believed that the infant begins with what he called the “primal self ”9 in a state of integrated wholeness that is then periodically shattered by experiences of “deintegration” (Fordham called it “deintegration” because the original integration is disturbed). Jung was clear that the product of the transcendent function is not a ﬁnal integration but rather is immediately confronted by a new opposite. 1969.” This constantly repeating deintegrationreintegration cycle was posited by Fordham to describe how the Self guides a process of differentiation. and the process starts over again. exposing the moist. fertile soil of participation.10 Archetypal psychology considers the archetype to be always phenomenal. soul is not a thing but rather a kind of process where mere physical events are deepened into experiences. thereby returning it to the state of wholeness/integration or “reintegration. Also analogous is the rhythm and repetition evident in both models. and comforted and falls asleep. a deintegration of sorts. Fordham’s model is also explicitly cyclical in nature.” the deintegration-reintegration process mediates between the primal Self and the “not-Self ” experiences that have not yet been incorporated. Soul is what allows us to truly experience our existence in a deep and meaningful way:
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The British analyst Michael Fordham.g. formulated important theories about the development of the Self in the infant (see. Finally. like the transcendent function. (p. 132). metaphor. or experiences pain. 132) Just as the transcendent function mediates between the conscious “I” and the unconscious “Other. play. The exigencies of physical reality intervene—the infant becomes hungry. a similar bipolar conﬁguration is considered to occur in the rhythmic back and forth movement between deintegration and reintegration. James Hillman’s omnipresent concept of soul in archetypal psychology also has parallels with the transcendent function. This movement occurs externally between persons and internally between parts of persons.. manifested in time.

Lived dialogue also encourages modes of dialogue that are nonverbal such as dancing. Its goals are to increase patient awareness and insight.” “procrastinator.96
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By soul I mean. it mediates events and makes differences between ourselves and everything that happens. p. beliefs. a viewpoint toward things rather than a thing itself. ﬁrst of all. Clinical work seeks to help the patient learn to perceive the entire ﬁeld with all its parts “here-and-now” in order to make the experience more present. a foreground of present occurrences overlaid against a background of habits.g. This perspective is reﬂective.” etc. acting.). their “inner child..” a mode of Gestalt therapy that allows patients to speak with different psychic part of themselves (e. directly analo-
.” “rebellious teenager. AND COGNITIVE THERAPIES Gestalt therapy. Soul is what transforms the touching of pieces of facial ﬂesh between two people into a kiss. the transcendent function leads to a new attitude while soul leads to a new experience of the event.” “perfectionist. values. there is a reﬂective moment—and soul-making means differentiating this middle ground. like the transcendent function.
NON-DEPTH ANALOGIES: GESTALT. CLIENT-CENTERED. soul opens the link between the physicality of an event and the meaning of it. In the same way that the transcendent function creates a connection between directed consciousness and the compensatory unconscious. felt. The here-and-now is a way of attempting to unify two disparate elements: the background (what the patient is unaware of in terms of feelings. and assumptions. eschewing the explanations and interpretations that are more the staple of analysis. profound. a perspective rather than a substance. beliefs.) and the foreground (what the patient is aware of in the situation). 1975. or drawing. The analogy to the transcendent function may be understood at a deeper level by examining the role of “lived dialogue. Though the terminology and orientation are different.” lived dialogue in Gestalt gives the patient a me-not-me experience. soul leads to a transformation of experience from a physical one to a psychological one. singing. thereby enhancing selfacceptance and esteem. mediates and constitutes a middle ground. xvi) Soul. In the same way that the transcendent function gives one the experience of “other. Just as the transcendent function leads to a transformation of psychological state or attitude. what makes the sound of rhyming words into a poem. gives primacy to what is directly perceived. between the doer and the deed. the idea of the here-and-now in Gestalt therapy has analogies to the transcendent function. Gestalt holds that all experience occurs in a ﬁeld. (Hillman. Between us and events. etc. and acted. and meaningful.

The therapist engages in a Socratic dialogue to help the patient see that such behaviors and emotions are based largely on “automatic thoughts. In this paradigm.” a kind of supercharged empathy by the therapist who engages in continuously mirroring the patient’s thoughts. We should be careful to point out that cognitive behavioral therapy is certainly not aiming at the unconscious to the same degree as Jungian psychology. Comparing and contrasting the transcendent function with
. p. It transports the psychic structure of the patient from one of deﬁcit and conﬂict to one of congruence and self-regard. a trust in a constructive directional ﬂow toward the realization of each individual’s full potential” (Raskin and Rogers. p. Furthermore. insights. various erroneous assumptions. the focus on thought in cognitive behavioral therapy is analogous to Jung’s transcendent function. The theory is essentially that through the unconditional positive regard. . or symbolic one. Proceeding from the simple assumption that how one thinks is the primary determinant in how one feels and behaves. feeling. In the same way that the Jungian analyst mediates the transcendent function for the analysand until the latter can perform the task alone. 1989. unconditional positive regard performs a role that may be said to be similar to the transcendent function: it is a mediatory and transitional phenomenon. It is intended to serve as a carrier or intermediate space for the patient. and rules of life of which the patient is unaware.
THE THIRD AS A UNIVERSAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSTRUCT This part of the book has sought to broaden the landscape of the transcendent function.12 Finally. The painful affect and maladaptive behavior in consciousness are brought together with the automatic thoughts and core beliefs in the unconscious through the mediating vehicle of the thought out of which a transition or a shift in attitude or emotion is expected. Fundamental to its practice is the notion of “unconditional positive regard. even cognitive behavioral therapy evidences concepts analogous to the transcendent function. images. 1989. the patient’s innate actualizing tendency will be supported and the patient will be guided to a healthy disposition. cognitive behavioral therapy’s mediatory and transitional vehicle is a rational. Though very different in thrust. 155). 300). imaginal.Transcendent Function and Theories of Others
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gous to the kind Jung advocated in connection with the transcendent function. and conclusions. not an imagistic. The client-centered therapy pioneered by Carl Rogers has at its core the belief in “an actualizing tendency present in every living organism .” “core beliefs. cognitive behavioral seeks to correct the faulty information-gathering processes of the patient in order to correct the assumptions that lead to maladaptive behaviors and emotions. . the client-centered therapist carries the unconditional positive regard for the patient until he or she can actualize it.” or “schemas” (Beck and Weishaar. directed process.

Second. the emphasis on purpose and meaning. unaccepted. unacknowledged. to move more profoundly into itself by constantly engaging in dialogue with the unconscious. the transcendent function is a more comprehensive. this chapter also clariﬁed and crystallized how unique and singular Jung’s idea of the transcendent function is.
. it helps us see how Jung’s idea of a psychological function that mediates polarized segments of psyche toward a transition is reﬂected in one way or another in other areas: Winnicott’s transitional object/phenomena. It appears that throughout the ﬁeld of psychology. Jung remains distinctive and extraordinary in his linking of the dynamic opposition of conscious/unconscious. is a universal. and the other non-depth analogies we explored. On the other hand. Psyche uses these mediatory structures to seek the way between dualities. the comparisons help us see how fundamental to all of psychology the idea of a dialogue with unconscious. It seeks to explain the way that psyche is always in dialogue with itself in an archetypal process. to transform. It is broader. deeper. Hillman’s soul. all psychological growth has its routes in such a conversation. Freud’s ego. Klein’s depressive position. and/or unknown material is. even archetypal one and it buttresses the earlier analysis that put forth the expansive view of the transcendent function as being psychological in general. those theorizing about the way psyche works identify functions that mediate between different psychic structures or states or that allow psyche to transform from one state to another. and the value of psychological transformation in the context of becoming the person one is meant to become. fundamentally. the role of fantasy and symbol. While other concepts we have explored deal in more limited ways with the concepts of psychological growth and transition. Kohut’s selfobject. and more transformational than any of the concepts to which it was compared here.98
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concepts from other schools of psychology yields interesting results. Fordham’s deintegration-reintegration cycle. First. indeed more psychological model of how psychological transformation occurs. The deeper roots of this movement will be the focus of the next chapter. It also helps us see that Jung’s idea about how psychological change happens. more profound. more purposeful. the dialogue between conscious/unconscious.

CHAPTER SIX

THE DEEPER ROOTS OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION

The transcendent function is a phenomenon ubiquitous to human experience that implicates opposition/duality, liminality, descent, initiation, and transformation. It reﬂects and ﬂows from the archetypal tendency of psyche to seek connections and dialogue in order to effect its innate and continual urge to move deeper into itself, to experience itself psychologically. From the ﬁrst time I learned about the transcendent function, it seemed apparent that it reﬂected a more universal idea present in psyche. Though the outlines of that idea were ill-deﬁned, it persistently gnawed at me and was a substantial part of the impetus for this book. Concepts in other schools of psychology seemed to parallel the activity and/or principle of the transcendent function; an image began to emerge of a process that ﬂows from other ideas universal to human psychology. Given its ubiquity, I began to conceptualize archetypal processes that may be reﬂected by the transcendent function. Used in this way, the term archetypal process envisions Jung’s description of archetype as “typical forms of behaviour which, once they become conscious, naturally present themselves as ideas and images” (1947/1960, p. 227). Viewed thusly, the transcendent function becomes an expression of deeper, archetypal patterns of psyche. This section explores such patterns.

THE BINARY OPPOSITION INHERENT IN CONSCIOUSNESS The opposites as a natural part of psychic energy were discussed at length in chapter 3. The tendency to separate reality into pairs of opposites is pervasive in the human experience. Dualities such as life/death, light/dark, spirit/matter, inner/outer, good/bad, and love/hate have deep signiﬁcance to the human endeavor. Jung posited that these opposites are the very engine of psyche. The

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essence of the transcendent function is the bridging and uniting of them. Similarly, the other mediatory and transitional phenomena examined in chapter 5 also relate, each in its own way, to opposites and bringing them together.1 We have no certain explanation as to why opposites play such a fundamental part in psychological life. Though still far from being conclusively established, there is evidence that at least part of the answer lies in basic brain chemistry. Neurons, the cells that make up the brain, are essentially on-off switches; they are either stimulated enough by the electric charge coming across the synapse from the neighboring neuron to ﬁre a signal to the next neuron or they are not. Thus, brain chemistry is essentially an either/or process. Through various and countless combinations of these neuronal units, our basic thinking process may, as a result, have a similar dualistic structure (see, e.g. Pinker, 1997). Further speculation about the physiological basis for the opposites may be found in the two-hemisphere structure of the human brain. The so-called bilateral brain2 has been shown to house essentially opposite functions in the two hemispheres; the left brain tends to perform logical, reasoning functions in a digital, computer-like way while the right brain acts in an analogical or metaphorical style (p. 234). Furthermore, the left hemisphere focuses more on the ego/me/self perceptions and the parts of things while the right hemisphere creates the experience of “otherness” (opposition from the self ) and sees parts as having meaning only within a context (see, e.g., Jaynes, 1976, pp. 100–25). Though the science of brain chemistry and physiology is still evolving, the early evidence in this area tends to conﬁrm that the opposites are a biological and physiological reality. Many have written on how the opposites are inherent in consciousness even if they are not manifestations of the way the brain functions. Jung, for example, believed that the very act of becoming conscious brings with it binary opposition: “The separation into pairs of opposites is entirely due to conscious differentiation; only consciousness can recognize the suitable and distinguish it from the unsuitable and worthless” (1921/1971, p. 112). Dehing notes that “the very development of ego-consciousness necessarily leads us to divide our subjective experience into poles: for example, good and bad, love and hate, life and death” (1992, p. 27). Corbett states it somewhat differently: “The movement from unconscious to consciousness involves a movement from undifferentiation to apparent plurality. An unbroken totality becomes the fragmented condition of everyday consciousness which divides everything into parts” (1996, p. 137). Others (e.g., Romanyshyn, 1996) have argued that the opposites may spring from ontological duality of spirit and matter in human existence. This line of thinking holds that the opposites are a reﬂection of those two distinct sides of being human with which we perpetually struggle. From an Eastern perspective, the opposites inherent in spirit and matter is the “primal delusion” (R. Powell, 1989, p. 6) of humanity; humans are born out of nonduality, “out of the Void,” into a world that emphasizes “thingness”

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and “selfhood” and “separateness” (p. 5) and humanity’s belief that its material existence is separate from the spiritual source from whence everything comes is the source of all suffering. Given that dualities are universal to human consciousness, the transcendent function is the sine qua non of healthy psychological functioning, for without it the opposites would never be bridged. By providing connective tissue between dualities, the transcendent function manifests the urge of the psyche to move beyond opposition. Psyche wants no part of the split between spirit and matter; indeed, it is the hinge that allows us to hold them together. Though humans have a difﬁcult time reconciling the splits between the realms of spirit and ideas, on the one hand, and matter and things on the other, psyche does not. As Jung (1921/1971) states: Idea and thing come together, however, in the human psyche, which holds the balance between them. . . . Living reality is the product of neither of the actual objective behaviour of things nor of the formulated idea exclusively, but rather of the combination of both in the living psychological process, through esse in anima. (pp. 51–52) Though ego consciousness demands separation between opposites, psyche does not. It is in the autonomous images/fantasies of psyche that opposites co-exist peacefully without explanation.

BRIDGING THE CHASM BETWEEN SUBJECT AND OBJECT Whether our experience is purely subjective and personal or is a product of some greater set of objectivities is a debate that is likely as old as consciousness itself. Going back at least as far as the debate in ancient Greece between realism and nominalism discussed in chapter 3, the interplay between subject and object has vexed thinkers in virtually every era. In modernity, the most important move in this regard is the fundamental subject-object bifurcation inherent in the theories of Descartes and Kant. The transcendent function and its analogs represent, in part, psychology’s struggle with this duality. The subject-object split is seen in almost every psychology today, particularly in the way each school endeavors to deal with self/other, idea/thing, inner/outer, and thought/feeling. Indeed, the transcendent function and its analogs are the frontline infantry in psychology’s battle with this ontological quandary. The transcendent function was, in large part, Jung’s attempt to deal with the fundamental split between the subjectivity of the conscious ego and the objectivity of the unconscious (the objective psyche). Some have even hypothesized that Jung’s notions of the objective psyche and psychoid archetypes are attempts on Jung’s part to identify a psychological locale where

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subject and object are one (see, e.g. Giegerich, 1987, p. 108). To many, the reason that Jungian psychology is so intriguing is its avowal that subjective experience takes place within a larger ﬁeld (the psychoid realm) and that the entire universe is the subject of which we are all small parts. That idea resonates deeply for some because it helps to explain data (feelings, senses, and intuitions) that seem to come from somewhere other than the perceiver’s subjectivity. Giegerich (1987) argues that despite his efforts to bridge the gap between subject and object, Jung remained trapped by the very subject-object assumptions he was trying to overcome. That is, even though Jung’s ideas about the psychoid archetype and the subjective universe are unique, they still “have the logical form of ontic ideas: our ideas about existing factors or aspects” (p. 114). In other words, we are still the “subject” hypothesizing ideas about something else, inherently implicating the subject-object split: It is obvious that this logical form is the splitting of subject (we as the ones having the idea) and object (what our idea refers to). When we adopt the idea of the subjective universe, we by doing so fall into and enact the subject-object alienation that we intend to overcome. (p. 114) Interestingly, the transcendent function analogs described in chapter 5 display similar attributes, each in its own way struggling with and/or mediating between subject and object.3 The most radical attempts to dispose of the subject-object issue are postmodernism4 and its cousin, archetypal psychology. The most extreme postmodernists, called “skeptical post-modernists” (Rosenau, 1992, p. 15), contend that there is no subjectivity, no center of experience. They consider the subject to be a fossil relic of the past, of modernity, an invention of liberal humanism, the source of the unacceptable object-subject dichotomy. They argue that personal identity of this sort, if it ever existed, was only an illusion, and it is no longer possible, today, in a post-modern context. (pp. 42–43) Skeptical postmodernists consider the subject (or self ) to be a mere position in language, a point of reference that is secondary to the essence of what is occurring. Without the subject, skeptical postmodernists contend, the subject-object distinction is extinguished: Erasing the subject, then, also suspends any division of the world into subjects and objects. It explodes the object-subject dichotomy, thwarts the authority of the one over the other, suspends the arbitrary power relations associated with the subject category, and thus abolishes this implicit hierarchy. (p. 49)

of course. that it may be an illusion. . 57). Archetypal psychology evidences a similar desire to eliminate the subject-object distinction. . archetypal psychology urges us to abandon subjectivity and recognize that all we see is a manifestation of an archetypal unity. a personiﬁcation of psyche: Not I personify. The more moderate theorists. the subject-object dichotomy persists. but the anima personiﬁes me. Fantasy it was and ever is which fashions the bridge between the irreconcilable claims of subject and object. Based in its own vocation of fantasy. . As Jung (1921/1971) says: The psyche creates reality every day. Not only does psyche seek the relationship and dialogues between seeming opposites. The subjectivity of “me” and the objectivity of “other” is removed. 52) Psyche may itself be the subject of which we all form a part. and “I” a psychic vessel whose existence is a psychic metaphor. “a decentered subject. The only expression I can use for this activity is fantasy. Though the afﬁrmative postmodernists propose a liberated subject. And. Psychic activity is not constricted by the artiﬁcial bounds of linear logic and reason.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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Even within postmodernism. (Hillman. In fantasy alone both mechanism are united. 15) concede that the subject must exist in order to even have a discussion. called “afﬁrmative post-modernists” (p. archetypal psychology. Fantasy. it also eschews the distinction between subject and object. . p. . 1975.” in which every single being is a literalism except the belief of soul whose faith posits me and makes me possible as a personiﬁcation of psyche. subjectivity is necessary nevertheless. . . Exhorting the avoidance of interpretation and a commitment to the image-making agency of soul. or soul-makes herself through me. “I” am merely an expression of soul. therefore. however. unrecognizable by the modernists” (p. psyche is unburdened by the shackles of the subject/object distinction. with the subject comes the subject-object dichotomy. . . even more radically. similar to postmodernism. As Hillman (1975) admonishes:
. (p. an ‘emergent’ subject. the transcendent function may be seen as psyche’s way of telling us that the chasm should be bridged or. seems to me to be the clearest expression of the speciﬁc activity of the psyche. 51) Thus. sees subject and object as mere illusions that humans use to make sense of soul’s daydream that is being lived out through us. an “as-if being. Though the dichotomy between subject and object has been part of Western consciousness for at least two millennia. giving my life her sense—her intense daydream is my “me-ness”.

nonspatial images. 1974.
. previous theory had consistently focused almost exclusively on the boundedness of the social structure (Turner. and incorporation (or aggregation). .104
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What we learn from dreams is what psychic nature really is—the nature of psychic reality: not I. It serves as psyche’s ever present mechanism constantly shepherding us deeper through a series of mini-initiations requiring us to slip between seemingly irreconcilable states. Much of seminal work on liminality was done by two anthropologists. . This “between-ness” serves an invaluable psychological purpose: to transition psyche from a conﬂicted set of circumstances to one that allows us to resolve (or to at least more comfortably tolerate) the conﬂict. . the transcendent function falls into an archetypal pattern that implicates liminality and initiation. 5). In this way. Van Gennep (1960) ﬁrst coined the term as the middle of three stages of primitive initiation ceremonies: separation. p. operates freely without words. pp. The transcendent function serves as a psychic usher guiding us through doorways along the hallways of psychological growth. not one but many. (p. Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner. p. liminality (or transition). 1991. in any “change from one state to another” (Turner. Turner (1987) expanded van Gennep’s concept by pointing out that liminality “may be institutionalized as a state in itself ” (Hall. 1987. but we. The full consequences of this structure imply that the psyche presents its own imaginal dimensions. we are imagining the psyche’s basic structure to be an inscape of personiﬁed images. placed in “an intermediate state of liminality ‘betwixt and between’” and. an ongoing state of unboundedness that engages in any signiﬁcant shift. Van Gennep’s liminality was extremely important to sociology and anthropology because it posited as normal that society has both bounded and unbounded dimension.
LIMINALITY AND INITIATION: AN ARCHETYPAL BETWEEN-NESS The transcendent function operates in the space between psychologically disparate states. 33) The transcendent function seeks to bridge or remove the gap between subject and object. 269). it allows psyche to move deeper. By employing as model of psychic actuality. and by conceiving a theory of personality based upon the dream. 35). A person is separated from one status in a culture. 34–35). We can describe the psyche as a polycentric realm of non-verbal. Viewed in this way. is returned to the social structure in a new status or role (Hall. after an initiation process. p. and is constituted of multiple personalities. 1991. to ﬁnd relationships in place of differences.

catabolism. dissolution. 7) The liminal is the territory not only where both death and birth coexist but becomes an archetypal place of pure possibility that is the potential source of all sorts of original and new ideas. 6–7) This passage illustrates the paradoxical nature of liminality: death of the old coexisting with birth of the new. decomposition. and yet is both. or sucklings. and. indeed. 1987. in many societies. . .The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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Turner delved deeply into the symbolism of the liminal stage. that they are not yet classiﬁed. pp. and both living and dead from another. 9)
. . decomposition are accompanied by growth. He described the person going through a liminal experience as structurally invisible because he or she belongs neither to the old status nor to the new. (1987. transformation. . is often expressed in symbols modeled on processes of gestation and parturition. The [initiants] are likened to or treated as embryos. and other physical processes that have a negative tinge. likening the experience to going through a death and rebirth: The structural “invisibility” of liminal personae has a twofold character. (Turner. 1987. Jakob Boehme. be the space of pure possibility: Undoing. drawn from the biology of death. and the reformulation of old elements into new patterns. more than that.” Liminality may perhaps be regarded as the Nay to all positive structural assertions. with both death and birth and with neither death nor birth: The essential feature of these [liminal] symbolizations is that the neophytes are neither living nor dead from one aspect. Their condition is one of ambiguity and paradox [italics added]. (Turner. . but as in some sense the source of them all. A space that can simultaneously hold opposites as polarized as death and birth where neither one nor the other prevails can. as a realm of pure possibility whence novel conﬁgurations of ideas and relations may arise. In so far as they are no longer classiﬁed. a confusion of all customary categories.” liked to say that “in Yea and Nay all things consist. the German mystic whose obscure writings gave Hegel his celebrated dialectical “triad. This coincidence of opposite processes and notions in a single representation characterizes the peculiar unity of the liminal: that which is neither this nor that. p. the symbols that represent them are. The liminal experience is one where psyche straddles the boundary. p. The other aspect. newborn infants. They are at once no longer classiﬁed and not yet classiﬁed. .

“what Turner’s concept of social liminality does for status in a society. it is the perpetual pattern of the crossing of previously psychological boundaries enforced by the ego (self ) as guided by the Self: From an archetypal viewpoint. As one writer put it. and yet is both” (1987. death and rebirth. (p. liminality is the sense of crossing and re-crossing borders. The transcendent function operates to provide a series of transitional experiences that move the person in stages through various transformations in attitude. (Hall. . liminality’s symbolism of death and birth signiﬁes the omnipresent cycle of the demise of one psychological position and the ascent of a new one. In Jungian terms. p. . 1991. One can see how the transcendent function ﬁts nicely within the rubric of liminality. The transcendent function parallels in the intrapsychic realm the change in role described by Turner within societies. Psychologically speaking. . liminality implies regression of the self in service of the Self. 1967). with his studies
. Indeed. 9). . Initiation is a process that has been speciﬁcally labeled as archetypal and connected directly to liminality (Henderson. 47) Liminality is the archetypal wellspring from which the transcendent function emerges. 34). Indeed. p. mediated.106
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Liminality is a phenomenon that allows us to enter a neither/nor space that allows the reformulation of the old into the new. or death and resurrection. One might say that the transcendent function is the psychological manifestation of and catalyst for liminality. . A similar connection can be made to the closely related idea of initiation. 47). He concludes: This change in self-image is initiated. but rather the more complicated archetypal patterns of death and transformation. 45–46) Hall further describes how the Self uses the transcendent function as a liminal phenomenon to “produce a uniﬁcation of opposites” (p. the language used to describe liminality is virtually identical to that used by Jung in connection with the transcendent function. 1991. and contained by the transcendent functional activity of the Archetypal Self. Psychologically. liminality does not imply the universal archetypal experience of death. 46) which effects “a change in the tacit self-image from which the conﬂict is viewed” (p. particularly when Turner talks of the “coincidence of the opposites” and “that which is neither this nor that. Jung psychological concept of transcendent function does for the movement of the person through the life process of individuation” (Hall. Considered clinically. . pp.

. Discussing psyche’s attempt to integrate the contents of the collective unconscious. One can see how initiation underlies the transcendent function. 18). They are clearly transformation mysteries of the greatest spiritual signiﬁcance. p. in the unconscious contents. often very highly developed. Death/ rebirth and transformation are at the heart of both. appears to be synonymous with the psychological concept of individuation” (p. so common to primitive and tribal life. initiatory rituals and transitions lie dormant in the unconscious and call to us at critical times throughout our lives: Since modern man cannot return to his origins in any collective sense.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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about the liminal stage of initiation ceremonies. fantasies as processes of initiation. pp. he apparently is tempted and even forced to return to them in an individual way at certain critical times in his personal development. The fact is that the whole symbolism of initiation rises up clear and unmistakable. Coupled with the fragmentation of group identity and any real sense of community in the hustle and bustle of modern times. . . And in this resides the relevance today of reinforming ourselves of the nature of primitive forms of initiation. Henderson (1967) enunciates the themes that are the thrust of this section on liminality and initiation: the analytic situation is fundamentally initiatory at its core and it takes the patient through a series of initiations or liminal experiences that replicate the life process. Jung (1939/1958) recognized a connection between initiation and the transcendent function in “Psychological Commentary on The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation” where he said:
. Jung analogizes coming to terms with the fantasies of the unconscious to the archetypal process of initiation: We could therefore most ﬁttingly describe these . . since these form the closest analogy. again through the mediation of the archetype of initiation. 14) Jung was also very aware of initiation and its importance as an archetypal force. He concludes that through the initiation archetype we are pursuing individuation: “The completion of this process. Henderson argues that initiation experiences. (Henderson. . 230–31) Finally. . . which play an extraordinarily important part in their social and religious life. van Gennep was said to have spurred the psychological discovery of the archetypal initiation process in the twentieth century (p. 9). (1928/1953. . 1967. are not a regular part of modern life. All primitive groups and tribes that are in any way organized have their rites of initiation.

p. e. This last aspect of Hermes is important to both hermeneutics and the transcendent function. Zeus. and the underworld. spirit nature. After stealing his brother Apollo’s cattle. . Though a full treatment of Hermes is beyond the scope of this work. Hermes is born of a Maia. Hermes impishly denies wrongdoing. 508) Liminality and initiation are both processes ubiquitous to our existence. a Titan goddess. These concepts are extremely important since they represent a “between” stage that leads to something new. Archetypally. who represent more a sense of a higher. and the Olympians. where Hermes repeats the same falsehoods. primitive nature of the Titans. He personiﬁes the exchange of information in liminal and initiatory phenomena and is capable of simultaneously visiting two disparate places. 1989). 13). López-Pedraza. hence Hermes’s winged sandals and his ability to ﬂy. humanity.g. In frustration. appoints Hermes messenger between and among Olympus. One writer terms Hermes the “connection-maker”
. Rebirth symbolism simply describes the union of opposites— conscious and unconscious—by means of concretistic analogies.108
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Many initiation ceremonies stage a . a brief visit with Hermes is instructive here. indeed it has been the subject of many volumes (see. amused and impressed by his son’s audacity. The Greeks credited Hermes with the discovery of language and writing. Hermes is the messenger between realms. 1944/1976. occurs. Kerényi. who preceded the Olympians. father of the two. . liminality and initiation are archetypal processes that represent a movement between seemingly inviolable borders. the bringing together of different realms. (p. crossing the boundary that seemed uncrossable. They are implicated whenever change. The transcendent function is a psychological expression of those archetypal processes. Hermes has to do with between-ness. return to the womb of rebirth. in both. Put another way. an Olympian god. In the myth. particularly psychological transformation. This quality of Hermes is critical since the transcendent function requires an archetypal energy to bring together different realms. transmuting what is beyond human understanding into something that can be grasped is crucial. He brings together the primordial. Apollo takes the issue to Zeus.. 1969. Underlying all rebirth symbolism is the transcendent function.
HERMES: THE ARCHETYPAL MESSENGER BETWEEN REALMS Another archetypal source for the transcendent function may be found in the Greek god Hermes. and he is associated with “the function of transmuting what is beyond human understanding into a form that human intelligence can grasp” (Palmer. and Zeus.

It is he who makes exchange possible between the world and the underworld. . Our awareness of Hermes opens us to the sacredness of such moments. a hinge through which two disparate elements are mediated. 1992. and manifestation of his energy. “a capacity to move back and forth between layers of meaning” (Young-Eisendrath. p. Indeed. 65). Hermes also signiﬁes the ability to make transition and transformation. Hermes is often known as the god of boundaries or crossroads. He is also the crossroad itself. as eventful. the herm. 56). p. 1989. . the ability to hold multiple levels of meaning.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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(López-Pedraza. 105). The transcendent function is a psychological manifestation of the archetypal experience of Hermes. is crucial to the transcendent function. 1993. indeed between any two realms. 1993. Every threshold is Hermes. Thus. 1989. Hermes not only marks the boundary but is a messenger between the disparate realms. But in addition to representing the boundary or crossroad. 52). marking them as sacred. 56) One can see why Hermes is so important to the discussion of liminality. p. (p. A further aspect of Hermes ﬂows from the source of his name. This aspect of Hermes. Several post-Jungian writers have used this hermetic imagery when describing the transcendent function: a “bridge between two worlds” (Agnel. like he. as epiphany. He is not only the god of boundaries. he actually is the boundary. p. p. between consciousness and the unconscious. 1990. p. He is there at all transitions. This dovetails nicely with Hermes as representing the liminal. Hermes is thought both to connect the gods and goddesses together and to humanity (López-Pedraza. 8) and also to be a messenger to the underworld (Downing. Hermes is the archetype that stands for change itself and is present whenever change is (Paris. “the messenger between gods and men” (Williams. It. Whenever we look at a liminal or transitional phenomenon. 1983. 153). Undoubtedly a search of Hermes’ toolkit would reveal the transcendent function. the ability to simultaneously hold multiple levels of consciousness. to simultaneously hold multiple levels of consciousness. It is an expression. p. He is the god who not only represents the liminal but manifests it. Jung refers to the “third thing”
. As Downing (1993) states: He is the herm. the connection-maker. instrumentality. p. 110). 8). 1992. . a heap of stones marking a boundary or crossroad (Downing.
THE THIRD: FOUNDATIONS OF THE NUMBER THREE The transcendent function represents a third. allows us to cross and recross boundaries. we stare into the visage of Hermes. both physical and psychological. of those in-between times that are strangely frightening and that we so often try to hurry past.

mineral-plant-animal—and that. 90) in describing the transcendent function. the three dominant gods of Egypt.” (p. Triads of all sorts exist to express the idea of balance. and completion (Biedermann. two is the ﬁrst even number. balance. Isis-Osiris-Horus. proton-electron-neutron and mass-powervelocity in physics. 59). the three primary Sumerian deities. three the ﬁrst that is uneven and perfect. p. Jung (1948/1958) quotes Plato: “Hence the god. But two things alone cannot be satisfactorily united without a third: for there must be some bond between them drawing them together. and end. the three bodies (tri-kaya) of knowledge (dharma-kaya or true being. here quoted by Jung (1948/1958). set about making it of ﬁre and earth. or perfection: thesis-antithesis-synthesis in philosophy. 1989. held that the number three stands for perfection and completion: “One is the ﬁrst from which all other numbers arise. Triads also seem to be pervasive in religion. when he began to put together the body of the universe. humans have a kind of tripolar consciousness (Schimmel. 1993. middle. centripetal force-centrifugal force-equilibrium in cosmology. solid-liquid-gas. and acid-base-salt in chemistry. The transcendent function is a psychological expression of the synthesis and balance inherent in the number three itself. synthesis. the Trimurti (Brahma-Shiva-Vishnu) in Hinduism. p. 240. This began with ancient beliefs: Anu-Enlil-Ea. and sambogha-kaya or the blessed mode of community believers) in Buddhism. the odd and the even. 118) The Pythagorean notion of three as completion was expanded upon by Plato in his work Timeaus where he argued that three constituted totality and unity. nirmana-kaya or earthly mode.110
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(1957/1960. That the third is referenced and implicated by the transcendent function is not coincidental since the number three is rich in associations relating to synthesis. because in it we ﬁrst ﬁnd beginning. spirit-body-soul in alchemy. and in which the opposite qualities of numbers. the astral trinity of Babylon. The idea of perfection as inherent in the number three is apparent in the thinking of the ancient Greeks Pythagoras and Plato. Sin-ShamashIshtar. Some have argued that synthesis comes in the form of threes because nature is ordered in threes—wave-radiation-condensation. Pythagorean theory. 252–53). water-air-earth. The pattern is also seen in modern religion: the Trinity (Father-Son-Holy Spirit) in Christianity. must therefore be united. past-present-future and beginning-middle-end in ontology. as a result. pp. And of all bonds the best is that which makes itself and the terms it connects a unity
.

g. two). (1948/1958. unites the one and the other. The ideal of completeness is the circle or sphere. . but an artiﬁcial one.. But every tension of opposites culminates in a release out of which comes the “third.
. In a discussion of this theory by Jung (1948/1958). Put another way. representing a primal even divine unity. intuition]. there are four aspects of psychological orientation [sensation.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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in the fullest sense. . This interplay became reiﬁed and formalized in Jung’s theory of the transcendent function.” In the third. there arises a tension of opposites between the One and the Other. For Jung. Thus.” (p. . p. Jung says at one point. but its natural minimal division is the quaternity. e. . three. Jung struggled with the interplay of the One. . 167) Jung believed that while the third and three are important to the process of uniting the opposites (the two). he did not agree with the Pythagorean and Platonic views of three as representing totality and an ultimate wholeness. 1948/1958. 26). one sees parallels to the language of the transcendent function. 119) In the Pythagorean and Platonic paradigms. The “One” . thinking. .e. p. paradoxically. 119) Here we see the deeper roots of the third in Jung’s thinking in the transcendent function. four prime qualities. The fourfold aspect is the minimum requirement for a complete judgment. This is the logical and abstract precursor to the idea of the Holy Trinity (see. though Jung saw the opposites as united in the third.. He expands upon this thought later: Three is not a natural coefﬁcient of order. one devolves into “one” and the “other” (i. (p. His writings are replete with references to four and the quaternity as the symbols of unity and wholeness. since four represents the minimum number of determinants in a whole judgment” (1944/ 1953. that meaning was connected with the number four. four colours. the One opposed by the Other. There are four elements. becomes an expression of one. “The number three is not a natural expression of wholeness. the transformation of the three leads to the wholeness of the four. 118–19). which he saw as the fundamental opposition of the universe. three. pp. Jung. . four castes. too. So. . etc. Interestingly. and some reconciling third. the tension is resolved and the lost unity is restored. while the “Other” ever strives to be another opposed to the One. feeling. and it is of the nature of a continued geometrical proportion to effect this most perfectly. then. seeks to hold to its one-and-alone existence. four ways of spiritual development in Buddhism.

and balance. p. and even unstable they really are. That is. 690). . religious. It may well be a question of a vital rhythm. separated/merged. Archetypally. In some paradigms. differentiated/uniﬁed. always reﬂects the dynamic operation of the self in its cycles of deintegrating and reintegrating”
. of ﬂuctuations of vital forces” (1921/1971.112
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The number three and the third have a long cultural. three is symbolic of unity and perfection. The transcendent function has a three-part kind of structure because it is a reﬂection of the archetypal synthesis and balance for which psyche strives. and mythical history. The process of the deintegration and reintegration is ongoing for the infant. he describes how opposites are united. and it undoubtedly played a signiﬁcant part in his ideation and imagery. what emerges is a pattern of oscillation between two polarized or disparate psychological states described variously as conscious/unconscious. Jung was not only aware of such history but explicitly referenced and discussed it in his works. possibly as a defense against the overwhelming feeling that might be caused were we to acknowledge how ﬂuid. Through a series of interactions. . movement. and then manifest themselves again: “The renewed conﬂict demands the same treatment” (1921/1971.
RHYTHM OF CONSCIOUSNESS BETWEEN DIFFERENTIATION AND UNITY We tend to describe psychological phenomena and structures in static terms. In “The Transcendent Function” essay itself (1957/ 1960). 90). changing. 115). “Fordham ﬁnds ego development [development of consciousness] to be a consequence of repeated deintegration of the self. 253). Jung refers to Goethe’s analogy of the rhythmic beating of a heart: “Goethe’s idea of a systole and diastole seems to have hit the mark intuitively. Other Jungian and post-Jungian theorists have also incorporated the idea of psychic rhythm into their writings. the three is an answer to the “twoness” of the binary opposition inherent in consciousness. if the brain or psychological functioning separates things into opposing pairs. inner/ outer. In describing the counter-position in the unconscious constantly interacting with consciousness. the third is the natural attempt to bring them into interaction with one another. personal/impersonal. This ego development . p. Jung makes several references to a rhythm between consciousness and the unconscious through the transcendent function. is explicitly rhythmic in its operation. Elsewhere. subjective/objective. the transcendent function “progressively unites the opposites” (1955. for example. Fordham’s deintegration-reintegration cycle. but only temporarily or partially. This interplay between separation and bringing together is what we turn to next. Jung describes the operation of the transcendent function as “the shuttling to and fro of arguments and affects” (p. Viewed more dynamically. p. and in others of transformation.

38.” a construct that he explicitly acknowledges (p. 3) was first named and explored by Neumann (1966). 38) of the ego and the Self. An analogous notion of shifting consciousness is noted by Edinger (1972). differentiated realm of physics that we know and a realm he calls the “implicate order” of undivided wholeness that is outside the bounds of time and space and is the common ground of both matter and consciousness (p. deintegration and reintegration cycle between people and between parts of people (Solomon. Others have expressed comparable ideas: “rhythmic back and forth movement” between I and the Other (Solomon. 1992. 6). and invisible and the “relative” that is the visible. 1992. growth and decay. Support for the cyclic or spiraling shifts in consciousness can be found from a number of other disciplines and sources. In alchemy. systole and diastole” ( Joseph. p. 1986. 132). manifest. Another physicist (Bentov. In science. Fordham later (1985) expanded his theory to hypothesize that the cycle is lifelong. similar to Fordham’s reintegrative state (1972. p. 89). and changing aspect (p. similar to Fordham’s deintegrative state. moving toward the opus is seen as a cycle of steps between different stages and the coniunctio. movement “back and forth between layers of meaning” (Young-Eisendrath. Although he originally focused his thinking on the development of ego in the infant and child. Corbett (1996) references Bohm’s theories of a rhythmic interaction between the discrete. Edinger attempts to describe the pattern of consciousness that emerges from the “close structural and dynamic affinity” (p.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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(Naifeh. “active submission to deep and unknowable currents of change and recurrence. 276) as well as basic molecular physics. 398). 5). 132). 1993. Alternating hemispheric activity has also been found to be an important part of brain chemistry (Ross. Oscillating energy is a key part of chaos theory (Van Eenwyk. p. p. 1992. 150). 1992. p. p. 9). 137). this cyclic (or better. In his discussion of the “ego-Self axis. the uniting of opposites is always
. 153). spiral) formula seems to express the basic process of psychological development from birth to death (p. eternal. 1992. 238). Indeed. 1997. He theorizes that we cycle between two states that he called “ego-Self separation” (an experience of separateness from the Self ). p. 1977) hypothesized that all creation can be divided into two alternating realms: the “absolute” that is ﬁxed. fn. p. and an oscillation “between experiences of plurality and unity” (Corbett. p. and “ego-Self union” (an experience of congruence between conscious and unconscious). Edinger postulates that human consciousness is a lifetime process of shifting back and forth between the two states in a cycle or spiral: The process of alternation between ego-Self union and ego-Self separation seems to occur repeatedly throughout the life of the individual both in childhood and in maturity.

The transcendent function is a label given to describe what we observe. the state of disorganization and putreﬁcation that breaks and transforms things (Schwartz-Salant. What Jung may have ﬁrst expressed is that these two parts of human experience are constantly held in a tension and/or interact in a sort of rhythm the exact nature of which we yearn to understand. 12). This rhythm of combining and uniting on the one hand. p. This point is summarized by Samuels: Parts of the psyche can move together and. and on the other. turns out to be an important theme in Jung and a vital one for the post-Jungians. the personal. and (2) another part that feels like it may be located outside of us. where we are the object of things that happen to us promulgated by larger forces. It would occur with or without a transcendent function or any other liminal structure. pp. spirals. apart. or oscillations back and forth. it will move in cycles or spirals. taken together they express the sense in which human existence is located in two experiences: (1) one part that feels localized within us. separating. What Jung ﬁrst theorized with the transcendent function is that psychological energy is no different. It is an attempt to explain what appears to be an archetypal occurrence: the rhythm of consciousness. All these references converge to a single point: there is an attribute of energic matters that involves cycles. differentiating and discriminating. and of which we are generally unconscious. where we are uniﬁed or merged with others in a kind of greater cosmic organism. The diagram below represents the rhythmic shifting of energy between these two realms. 1995. conversely. (1985. where we are each the subject of what happens.
➔
merged
. where we are differentiated and separated from others. subjective personal conscious inner differentiated separated
➔
objective impersonal unconscious outer unified
The cyclic movement of energy is a fact of both material and psychological life. the impersonal or transpersonal. 8–9) Though the different theories express the rhythm of consciousness in different terms. and of which we are generally conscious.114
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followed by the nigredo.

it is both unavoidable and important. novel. “raises the question of whether Jung ultimately became more of a theologian than a psychologist” (Horne. 26). almost protesting too much. What comes to us as a successful solution arising out of the transcendent function impresses us as a marvelous. Dealing with matters deemed metaphysical or mystical to most. were not intended as metaphysical statements . These “powers” may be psychological and not divine but in this
. 480. 828). 194) One author even asserts that Jung’s relatively comprehensive explication of the more abstract aspects of the transcendent function. to say he does not mean something metaphysical ( Jung 1971. much like religious tradition describes the Spirit of God moving us to pray. 1957/1960. It is there. par. 1928/1953. unites. saying it does not make it so. 110). However. Without advocating a particular religious orientation. 224. 1987. . 1996.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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THE TRANSCENDENT: CONNECTION WITH A GREATER CONSCIOUSNESS The transcendent function clearly implicates matters of transcendence in a spiritual or divine sense. . I think Jung is avoiding the religious here and suggest that it is precisely through the workings of the transcendent function that we receive evidence of the Transcendent in the metaphysical sense operating within us. p. not speaking about God himself. 68). and that he was. 1998. . p. p. He takes pains. Though Jung took great pains to state explicitly in his writings that the transcendent function is not imbued with metaphysical or spiritual overtones (1921/1971.g. it is undeniable that his writing is replete with discussions of and references to religious and spiritual material. there is something numinous and unexplainable about the transcendent function that implicates powers greater than ourselves. Jung had a real (and probably justiﬁed) sensitivity to being seen by his peers as unscientiﬁc. e. (Ulanov. Whether Jung himself saw or acknowledged a connection between spirituality/divinity and the transcendent function is not the focus of this exploration. and thus transcends the warring opposites. Jung attempted to deﬂect possible criticism “by constantly assuring us that all his theoretical statements . p. . and convinces us of an abiding presence that knows us in our most intimate battles of our soul. This may be why some believe there is a clear reﬂection of the Divine in the transcendent function despite Jung’s protestations to the contrary: This is what Jung means by the word transcendent—that third point of view which rises out of. together with his failure to explore in detail its clinical applications.. p. p. but only about the God image in the psyche” (Giegerich. even grace-ﬁlled answer to our inner conﬂict.

the voice of God. ineffable and vast beyond speaking or imagining.” the Real. (Corbett. and archetypal are synonymous qualities: Numinous experience is synonymous with religious experience. Ulanov (1992.” . p. 155) The Transcendent is elusive. the grace of God. in some sense. Writers from other cultures have also drawn parallels with the operation of the transcendent function and the divine in their cultures. 455). the one who alone truly says “I. The Functioning Transcendent (1996). though couched in
. what the depth psychologist calls an archetype wold be referred to as spirit. is the true subject. It. . Jung connects the transcendent function to God.116
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context the distinction makes no difference. “Psychology has no proof that this process does not unfold itself at the instigation of God’s will” (1955. 506. That the transcendent function arises from a broader and deeper divine landscape is evident from both Jung’s writings and those of post-Jungian writers. 1997) makes extensive reference to the connection between the transcendent function and variously God. known through world and wellspring. And “transcendent functioning” is the name we give the psychological process of repairing and healing the Real and redeeming it from its exiles. Joseph (1997). 690). Humanity is engaged in a perpetual effort to understand the Greater Consciousness. 1958/1964. The world’s religions have struggled to come to terms with it. . Isness. . and says. In the religious literature. “God. part of the process of individuation. and the Transcendent. 15) The point is that the occurrence and engagement of the transcendent function moves us into a liminal place where we come into contact with the larger consciousness of which we are a part. p. . Indeed. the ever-fresh source. Translated into psychological parlance. just seven years before his death. In a letter written in 1954. this means the relatively direct experience of those deep intrapsychic structures known as archetypes. numinous. Jung refers to the transcendent function as a natural phenomenon. . In at least three other contexts. p. explicitly refers to that connection and discusses the ways that the Transcendent and a conscious connection with it can be more fully incorporated into our everyday lives. who coins the term “transcendent functioning” for the operation of the transcendent function. 1996. Post-Jungian writers also make frequent reference to the transcendent function as arising from the Transcendent. The transcendent function. Her extensive work. concludes that its foundation is the Transcendent: “God” is the Real. 1996. religious. operationally they are synonymous. 488. and the will of God (1939/1958. (p. p.

Introducing his concept of psyche or soul as the middle ground between idea (esse in intellectu) and thing (esse in re). According to this way of thinking. Put another way. instead. adopting such a neither/nor posture. The dualistic thinking of human consciousness tends to block psychological growth and cause stagnation. Jung (1921/1971) says: From the standpoint of logic. human way to explain something unexplainable. seeks to move beyond the “imagined” blockages into the terrain of neither/nor and it uses the transcendent function to do so. and individuation are just our own frail. in that holding. . it holds both and. psyche pushes us to seek the route between opposing positions to imagine what position (symbol or image) might hold pieces of them both without rejecting either. 2002) through his extensive writings and teachings on the harm done to psychological life through the either/or paradigm of modern science and technology and the need to reclaim key aspects of that life by. it demands that we ﬁnd the neither/nor instead of choosing either/or. This perspective has been urged by Romanyshyn (1982. . The transcendent function clearly implicates a search for and contact with the Transcendent. is a psychological fact. and the only thing that needs ascertaining is whether it occurs but once. there is. 2001. no tertium between the logical either-or. 1996.
THE NEITHER/NOR AND AUTOCHTHONOUS URGES OF THE PSYCHE The deeper roots of the transcendent function reﬂect a particular view of psyche that moves beyond divisions into dialogue and relationship. Maybe the musings about opposites. . is yet another effort to give voice to that connection. symbol. then. But between intellectus and res there is still anima. maybe psyche is really transformed and transcended by the grace of some Higher Power that we have attempted to understand since the dawn of humanity. and this esse in anima makes the whole ontological argument [Kant’s argument that there is a fundamental division between idea and thing] superﬂuous. however. allows a new awareness to emerge. logical opposites. 45–46) Here Jung begins to articulate an idea that reaches full fruition in Hillman and archetypal psychology: that psyche is autonomous and does not “think”
. or universally in human psychology. and in so doing rejecting Kant’s absolute formulation of either idea or thing. when the psyche is confronted with mutually exclusive. this is the neither/nor urge of the psyche. It is a vision of psyche that rejects either/or classiﬁcations and instead embraces a neither/nor stance. often. The esse in anima. energy. Psyche. 1989.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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psychological terminology and encompassed by Jung’s greater theory. (pp. as always.

to repeat itself in other terms. some new thing arising between them which. the transcendent function is simply psyche’s way of reconnecting with the interiority of all things. to see more deeply into exactly what is transpiring. Thought of in this way. Psyche’s primary activity is fantasy and image-making. opposites can be united only in the form of a compromise. The transcendent function becomes a central subject in depth psychology because it helps us understand the constant urge of psyche to move deeper. By refusing to wall ourselves off with artiﬁcial dualities. (1921/1971. The either/or dualities we impose on the world around us are more for us to make sense of something we do not fully understand. (p. Elsewhere. The search for “whatness” or quiddity. “What?” proceeds straight into an event. its essence. offers a spark. although different from both. to re-present itself by means of other images. Psyche pushes us toward the neither/nor reality where relationships rather than distinctions between things is the order of the day.118
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in logical ways. psyche seeks nonrational ways to ﬁnd relationships between things that do not seem logically related. rational arguments. we can move deeper into relationship with the world around us and with one another. or irrationally. we are inside it. It is neither required to follow. It is a question from the soul of the questioner that quests for the soul of the happening. nor is it interested in being bound by. 138). Jung describes that this process happens irrationally through the ﬁnding of an image that holds pieces of both and neither of the opposites: In practice. Hillman (1979) has termed this urge of the psyche to constantly seek the deeper. releases or feeds soul. of seeing the hidden dimensionality of itself and everything in reality. “What” stays right with the matter. yet has the power to take up their energies in equal measure as an expression of both and of neither [italics added]. invisible “whatness” of every event the “autochthonous” (from the Greek chtho meaning “earth” and chthón(ios) meaning “beneath the ¯n. the interior identity of an event. In its own time and in its own way. “What” implies that everything everywhere is matter for the psyche. earth”) urge of the psyche: The innate urge to go below appearances to the “invisible connection” and hidden constitution leads to the world interior to what is
. takes one into depth. asking it to state itself again. matters to it—is signiﬁcative. p. 105) Psyche is not inside us. Hillman (1975) passionately exhorts us to avoid the more common psychological inquires of why and how and instead focus squarely on the deeper aspects of what.

This chapter has toured the deeper foundations of the transcendent function. Hades’ realm is contiguous with life. always available to us when we wish to see the darkness. and transcendence. the rhythm of consciousness. in their invisibility at the same time that we see them in their light in the upper world: The brotherhood of Zeus and Hades says that the upper and lower worlds are the same. 32) Thus. saying that the underworld should not be seen as a separate place that happens or is visited only at certain times but rather an everpresent perspective that views things in depth. liminality and initiation. its native desire to understand psychologically. where the interior. its shadow brother . In this vision of the radical nature of the psyche. Through an exploration of the universal themes of the opposites. the subject-object chasm. giving life its depth and its psyche. (p. the other below and into its darkness. in their darkness. touching it at all points. would seem to be akin to what Freud calls the death drive and what Plato presented as the desire for Hades. its reason for seeking the interiority or invisible nature of all things is not based upon compensating for or balancing any conscious or ego position. . To put it another way. The underworld is a place of afﬁrmative interiority. coexistent and synchronous.The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function
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given. Hermes. crossing boundaries not
. just below it. 28). There is only one and the same universe. to see more deeply into itself. deeper aspects of all things are present to be seen. invisible fullness of things—when we wish to see that which we do not allow in our conscious upper world. . the underworld is a perspective more than a place. 27) In discussing the realm of Hades. but a hidden presence—even an invisible fullness” (p. the third. This autochthonous urge of the psyche. in a manner of speaking. to see itself more clearly. The landmarks encountered throughout the trek all pointed in the same direction: toward ﬁnding connection and relationships where none seemed to exist. psyche uses the transcendent function to view the unseen because it wishes to understand its experiencess psychologically. but one brother’s view sees it from above and through the light. a perspective that is ever present. Hillman moves even further. we sought information about psyche’s use of these psychological instrumentalities. Psyche seeks to deepen events into experiences by moving beyond the paradigm of either/or dualities. (p. “Hades is not an absence. It seeks to make connections and mediate relationships between things that might not otherwise be connected or related. hidden presence. but rather.5 Hillman states emphatically that. for its own pleasure. only the perspectives differ. The neither/nor and autochthonous urges of the psyche are at the root of the transcendent function.

Following the directions implicit in the material we arrived at the neither/nor and autochthonous urges of the psyche.120
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normally crossed. and transcending differences.
. With these deeper themes as our anchor. let us now turn to how the transcendent function may be used and applied in life outside the consulting room.

CHAPTER SEVEN

VIVIFYING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE

This ﬁnal chapter focuses on synthesis and application. Having explored the transcendent function as a Jungian concept, as a root metaphor, and as an archetypal, mediatory phenomenon, we conclude by turning to more practical concerns. How can we better recognize and apply the transcendent function in our lives? How does the notion that Jung ﬁrst described in 1916 manifest itself outside of the consulting room? Do we ﬁnd it, for example, in relationships, in culture, and in our institutions? Are there ways in which we can increase its presence or at least increase our awareness of it? Is the expansive view of the transcendent function helpful in this regard? These questions require us to weave together the strands we teased out earlier. Here we attempt to blend the concepts to bring the material to bear in a tangible way. Depth psychology serves only a limited purpose by remaining conﬁned to the boundaries of the consulting room and the pages of scholarly works. Increasing awareness of and integration of the unconscious in individual psychotherapy is all well and good. But depth psychology needs to do more. The unconscious erupts into relationships, the culture, and the world in ways that require as much, if not more, attention by our ﬁeld. Depth psychologists are conspicuously absent from the discussion of crucial issues of our time. Beneath each and every divisive split in our cultural, societal, and political lives lies unacknowledged material that needs to be identiﬁed, discussed, and brought to the surface. An expansive view and discussion of the transcendent function can assist us in addressing these issues. This chapter seeks to usher the transcendent function out of the relative quiet of the analytic situation and the academic world into the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

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THE METAPHORICAL VIEW OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION Notwithstanding Jung’s effort to simply deﬁne and describe it in his 1916 paper, the transcendent function thwarts our efforts to give it clear outlines. Chapter 4 identiﬁed two distinct images of the transcendent function: the “narrow” transcendent function, a process within Jung’s psychology pursuant to which opposites are united, and an “expansive” transcendent function, a much broader root metaphor for becoming psychological through an interaction with the unconscious, unknown, or other. Then in chapter 6, working explicitly with the transcendent function as a root metaphor, we explored the deeper archetypal patterns it implicates and enunciated the neither/nor and autochthonous urges of the psyche to ﬁnd connections where none seemed possible and to move deeper. Here we seek to further explore the expansive transcendent function as a metaphor for becoming psychological, a conversation between that which is known, conscious, or acknowledged and that which is unknown, unconscious, or hidden through which something new emerges. Though this metaphoric view of the transcendent function conjures up a core image that may best be described as “developing deeper awareness,” it appears in various forms such as those discussed in chapter 6. Indeed, post-Jungian writers variously conceptualize the transcendent function in ways that are consistent with each of the archetypal patterns we discussed: the role of the transcendent function in overcoming the binary opposition inherent in consciousness;1 its initiatory and transformative aspects;2 its bridging or liminal qualities;3 the rhythm of consciousness between differentiation and unity;4 and the way it implicates divinity. Implicit in these references is the thrust of the second half of this book: beyond its delineated role in Jungian psychology (the “narrow” transcendent function), the transcendent function is a metaphor for psyche’s yearning to create connections rather than separating, to savor the unknown rather than asserting knowledge as a way to order things. As one writer summarized it, “The transcendent function is realized synchronistically when there is a shift away from a desire to know and control toward a desire to relate and understand” (Beebe, 1992, p. 118). The broader, metaphorical vision of the transcendent function is crucial to gaining greater insight into its appearance and use in interpersonal, cultural, and everyday contexts. Jung’s description in his original essay, though helpful in understanding the abstract concepts implicated in a dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious, is not very useful in animating the transcendent function. His discussions in his other works are also interesting but they are devoid of how to bring the transcendent function more to life. In order to understand how the transcendent function affects us on a daily basis, the following discussion adopts the root metaphorical/expansive view of the transcendent function, the focus on the relationship between the known,

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conscious, or acknowledged and the unknown, unconscious, or hidden, through which something new emerges.

TILLING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION WITH THE ALCHEMICAL METAPHOR To further explore the metaphorical transcendent function and its impacts outside of the analytical situation, we turn to a curious analogy: alchemy, the ancient art of transmuting base metals into valuable ones. At the heart of the transcendent function is what some have called “alchemical thinking” or an “alchemical attitude” (see, e.g., Schwartz-Salant, 1998; Romanyshyn, 1996). Alchemy was concerned with creating qualitative changes in substances, speciﬁcally transforming base metals into gold or silver. Its importance to this work (indeed, to depth psychology generally) lies in its conviction that “outer” changes in the substances corresponded with “inner” changes in the alchemist’s psyche; as the alchemical endeavor proceeds, transformation occurs in both the alchemist and the substance. Indeed, some would say that the transformation of the alchemist is the true focus of alchemy: Gold-making was not the major concern of alchemy but rather was part of the alchemical metaphor of personality transformation. . . . [A]lchemy was a system of transformation, and its genius lay in the assumption that change was part of an interaction between subject and object in which both were transformed. (Schwartz-Salant, 1998, p. 11) Alchemy holds that subject and object, indeed all opposites, are joined in an unseen way by a universal process or substance, called the lapis, which imbues all creation, even the human mind and body. Alchemy also posited that “outer” and “inner” are merged in a space called the “subtle body” that mediates between spirit and matter. Instead of separating them, alchemy sees spirit/matter, inner/outer, and subject/object as related in some profound way. Prevalent in Renaissance Europe during the ﬁfteenth and sixteenth centuries, as reﬂected in historically important texts such as Rosarium Philosophorum (1550) and Splendor Solis (1582), alchemy experienced a precipitous fall from grace with the emergence of science, the tenets of which were in direct conﬂict with those of alchemy. Science trumpets objectivity, the ability and desirability of separating the observing subject from the observed object; alchemy believes in purposeful subjectivity, emphasizing the inherent role of the subject in changing the object. Science insists upon a strict separation of inner and outer whereas alchemy merges them in the subtle body:

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In contrast to modern scientiﬁc methods, the alchemical tradition is a testimony to the power of subjectivity. Rather than an “objective” attempt to carefully situate a difference between process in matter and the psychology of the experimenter, in alchemy the spiritual and physical transformation of the subject is an integral part of the work of transforming matter. . . . The merger of outer and inner occurs in a space that alchemists called the “subtle body,” a strange area this neither material nor spiritual, but mediating between them. (SchwartzSalant, 1998, p. 11) Science seeks to ﬁnd order in things and determine their cause; alchemy is more comfortable with disorder and is not concerned with causality. Rather than seeking the differences between things, alchemy searches for their connections. Relatedness, not causality, is alchemy’s focus. Some have linked the emphasis on relationships in alchemy to its belief in the workings of soul, which lives in relationship: Alchemy’s insistence on the linkage between subject and object followed its concern for the soul, the inner life that moves of its own accord, independent of cause. This quality of soul is the reason that causal concerns are of far less signiﬁcance for the alchemical mind than for our own. Because the soul lives in relationship, the quality of relationship, characterized in alchemical science by a concern for the relation per se, and not the things related, deﬁned alchemy. (p. 13) The focus on the relationship between things (the relation per se) and the implications of that relationship rather than on what distinguishes and deﬁnes the things themselves is alchemy’s fundamental difference with science. One can see from this brief review that alchemy and the transcendent function have commonalities. Fundamental to each are the ideas of the relationship between opposites, the creation of a container in which the opposites are held, the mediating inﬂuence of a transcendent force, and the emergence of a transformation. The alchemical endeavor employs the transcendent function; the transcendent function is alchemical in its core.

THE NEITHER/NOR AND THE METAPHORICAL THIRD Science and alchemy unfold in fundamentally different ways: scientiﬁc thinking is either/or in nature while alchemical thinking is metaphorical, and neither/nor in its focus. The workings of the transcendent function are alchemical and are psyche’s way of overcoming the either/or. Hence we explore these parallel ideas further here.

self/other. but rather that there is some unseen relationship between them. alchemical thinking seeks the connection in seemingly unconnected things. he. Just as alchemy sought the ultimate substance that connects all things. combines different orders of reality. this approach weakens and even disclaims the connections between the very things it is categorizing. Science splits them and becomes the beholder of order. Alchemical thinking. like a built-in cognitive dissonance. there is no doubt it profoundly affects how we view the world: we are immersed in the Cartesian assumption that all reality consists of an observing subject separated from the world outside. alchemy invites them to combine. p. even dismisses. this way of knowing and being creates splits. 2001. 13). The scientiﬁc attitude reﬂects the tendency in human consciousness to split and hold things in a dualistic. Unlike science which focuses on the things related. 1996. third presence. among other things. unseen connections. in all things. Instead of splitting matters. He espouses a renewed embrace of soul by using what he calls metaphoric sensibility and alchemical thinking through which apparent dualities are suspended opening psychological life to the emergence of new images. Though there are many theories about the genesis of this phenomenon. we create mutually exclusive categories (such as mind/body. etc. Just as a metaphor invokes an image that is separate from the subject of the metaphor and the thing to which it is compared. The interconnectedness between parts of the cosmos is so elemental that this dualizing consciousness feels foreign. “The metaphorical basis of alchemy.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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This exploration is founded upon and is an extension of the teachings and writings of Romanyshyn (1982. like all metaphors. and a truly living psyche. either/or way. either/or way of viewing reality. interior/exterior. This metaphor. indeed. spirit/matter. By consistently splitting reality into opposing camps. space. Alchemical thinking is based in the neither/nor of the alchemical metaphor that change in the physical world mirrors change in psyche. alchemy concerns itself with the relationship.) and organize things by forcing them into one or the other. manifested in the transcendent function. ordering the supposed disorder of matter” (Schwartz-Salant. rejects the either/or approach. a relationship with the divine. In his work. gaps that jar and disorient. 2002).5 This duality of the “observing self-subject” and the “outside world-object” then forms the foundation for seeing all reality in the very same either/or way. The scientiﬁc way of knowing misses. the connections that form the basic fabric of cosmological existence. rifts. mourns the loss in psychological life resulting from the advance of science and technology and its dualistic. by portraying reality as sets of opposites. like metaphor in general. It sees all dualities as neither one nor the other but rather as being related in some way. like matter and psyche. or ﬁeld between them:
. fact/idea. subjective/objective. alchemical thinking invokes such a metaphorical. 1998. does not say that the two things being compared are the same. 1989.

The transcendent function is the tissue between consciousness and the unconscious.e. between the observer and the object is the relationship between the two. along with the metaphorical third that underlies it. The very role of all the transitional mechanisms is to form the connective tissue between disparate psychic states. The transcendent function is the embodiment of the metaphorical third.” It is more a process than a thing. “observing subject” and “observed object”). provides the model. Alchemical thinking. logical. 13) Instead of seeing reality in “two’s” (i. an “intermediate” realm between matter and psyche. the process of being aware that every subject-object experience creates a neither/nor.” which hypothesizes that all transformation results from energy patterns involving the numbers one through four. is the foundation for understanding the transformation Jung himself went through and then posited in the form of the transcendent function. Alchemy. out of the Two comes the Three. the intermediate space or ﬁeld between the two. it needs a different way of thinking. Thus. The metaphorical third provided him a necessary tool for the way he worked with psyche. where the choice between either one or the other is suspended so that the relationship between them becomes the focus. Jung and others make reference to an alchemical principle called “The Axiom of Maria. The other phenomena discussed are. metaphorical space where a relationship may be found between the two. is the “metaphorical third. analogous. (p. it is the expression of the space or ﬁeld that mediates between the two. a process or space in which opposites are held. The logos of psyche is not a linear. the alchemist believed that “relations per se” could be transformed. alchemical thinking underlies all of the liminal phenomena examined in this book. It is an “in between” world of “relations. and instead is characterized by a paradoxical relationship in which “outer” and “inner” are alternatingly both distinct and the same. Speaking more broadly. that is neither one thing nor the other. the alchemical attitude emphasizes the “threeness” of every situation.126
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Thus. a different universe of experience is the object of the alchemical endeavor. causal tale to be tracked like the data of an experiment. The relationship. in one way or the other. and from the Three comes the Four as the One” (Schwartz-Salant. .
.” occurring in a space that is not-Cartesian. . It states: “Out of the One comes the Two. Within the paradoxical geometry of this space . it comes as no surprise that Jung focused on alchemy.. with its demands to engage in metaphor and constantly look for the relationship between.
THE GERMINATION OF THE ALCHEMICAL FOURTH Alchemy also allows us to move a step deeper in understanding the archetypal patterns discussed in chapter 6.

p. (1955– 1956/1963. a sense of Oneness. This is the state where matters seem to emerge as pairs. The One represents a state prior to order that is chaotic and confusing. the ﬁeld” (p.” as “things. the opposites are held so that they create a kind of vessel that is separate from but at the same time contains them. Here. however. p. In essence. what we have been calling the third. This is what was termed the “metaphorical third” in the discussion above. The Axiom of Maria is extremely helpful in our work with the transcendent function. The Three “is the creation of the third thing. into a vessel or ﬁeld in which the opposites reside in tension (the Three). It is the metaphorical third. thus. the process of the transcendent function is the movement from the Two to the Three. so that the painful suspension between opposites gradually changes into the bilateral activity of the point in the centre. Jung described the “Three” ﬂowing from the opposites: This vacillating between the opposites and being tossed back and forth means being contained in the opposites. and water) have two forms—one “ordinary” and the other “philosophical”—can be experienced. 65). viewed through the lens of the Axiom of Maria. to separation of the opposites (the Two). First. the emergence of a pair of opposites” (p. the alchemical idea that all substances (such as sulphur. (p. new attitude. 1998. 65) The Axiom of Maria evokes imagery of movement from a primitive unity (the One). The Two is the “beginning of making ‘sense’ of the phenomenon. 64) from the Two.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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1998. The two opposites (psychic states) are mediated by the process or container of the transcendent function. the parts of which dynamically oppose one another. and to a place of transcendence or Oneness (the Four as the One). each of the archetypal patterns we discussed seems to fall within the numerical progression of the axiom. More importantly. 223) The ﬁeld or vessel is paradoxical in that it is both distinct from and yet comprised of its elements. p. 64). In the movement to the Fourth. 64). Through the experience of the Three (the vessel) something new emerges: the Four as One. and the transformed. The Four is “the experience of the Third as it now links to a state of Oneness of existence” (Schwartz-Salant. 64). the ﬁeld
. the transcendent function process. lead. “before opposites have separated” (p. They become a vessel in which what was previously now one thing and now another ﬂoats vibrating. the Axiom of Maria allows us to see that in the workings of the transcendent function there are actually four elements: the two opposites.” and instead become something more—states of wholeness. affects cease to be experienced as “ordinary.

process. the new thing that emerges is the alchemical fourth. third thing (alchemical fourth)
▲
conscious position
➔ transcendent function
(metaphorical third)
This discussion harkens back to and helps clarify the ambiguity in Jung’s writings about whether the transcendent function is a function. oscillate. The reader will recall that Jung variously refers to the transcendent function as the process by which that tension of the opposites is held and the ﬁnal result that emerges. Every relationship. When it emerges. The transcendent function is the ﬁeld or vessel in which the opposites are cooked. Depth psychology would do well to exit the relative quiet of the analytic situation and walk out into the bustling world where the unconscious raucously cascades over all of us. it is a totally new consciousness. it is much more. and allow a shift in consciousness. intrapsychic phenomenon. It is the metaphoric. neither/ nor space where the opposites sit in tension. It is not a new idea in depth psychology that the contents of the unconscious erupt in relationships. This is the difference between the metaphorical third and the alchemical fourth. or ﬁnal result. this view of transcendent function is represented by the following diagram: new. That notion is the very heart of the idea of projection. what may be called the alchemical fourth.128
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or the relationship between the two opposites.
PLOWING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION FIELD IN RELATIONSHIPS Though we normally think of the transcendent function as a personal. not an amalgam of the two disparate elements but some part of the Oneness that connects them. Schematically. both saw the essence of projection as based on something unconscious being transmitted into a rela-
➔
unconscious
. The new. third thing that emerges from the operation of the third is actually a fourth. though in slightly different ways. vacillate. is imbued with the unconscious and is a vessel in which the transcendent function is always at work. so are the presence and effects of the transcendent function. The unconscious is not something that is solely accessed and integrated within the conﬁnes of therapy. analytic or otherwise. Freud and Jung both spent substantial time and effort exploring this idea and. Since psyche is transpersonal.

indeed a sacred dimension. the very purpose of relationships may be to provide us a mirror through which to view. that is unperceived and unintentional. a space where distinctions between subject/object and inner/ outer disappear. Relationships are a vehicle (like drawing. transfer of subjective psychic elements onto an outer object” (von Franz. states it. and rather than being the subjects. and as we actually focus on it. “As living forms of exchange. prayer. something new can occur.” we begin to feel we are inside it and moved by it. p. and integrate unconscious parts of psyche. allowing it to have its own life. 3). experience. p. The space that we occupy seems to change. 218). we are always confronted with aspects of the unconscious. therapy. the perspective offered here is that virtually all relationships. the old forms of relationship die and transform. Succinctly stated. journaling. observing this “third thing. (pp. 6). “Jung deﬁned projection as an unconscious. Schwartz-Salant (1998) calls this ﬁeld a “third area” between the two participants. active imagination. from a depth psychological perspective. Indeed. 1980b.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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tionship. sculpture.) through which unconscious material emerges. Though we often think of projection as something negative to be discouraged. are ontologically based in projection. relationships are a vessel in which the transcendent function is constantly at work. whether with people or with the world around us. In such experiences. As one writer. It is as if we have become aware of a far larger presence in our relationship. projection itself is a kind of imaginary relationship between a person and the image of unconscious material projected or transferred onto another person: “In these imaginary relationships the other person becomes an image or a carrier of symbols” (p. like a “third thing” in the relationship. know. commenting on Jung’s conception of projection. relationships mediate between a person and his or her unconscious psyche” (Schwartz-Salant. In essence. Relationships create a ﬁeld in which. and the space itself and its emotional states are the subject. where the unconscious can be experienced and transformation achieved: We must move beyond the notion of life as consisting of outer and inner experiences and enter a kind of “intermediate realm” that our culture has long lost sight of and in which the major portion of transformation occurs. 5–6)
. Just as in analysis. relationships reify the transcendent function. As we perceive such a shared reality with another person. 1998. every relationship has both conscious and unconscious dyads constantly at work. Indeed. in one way or another. interactions with other people are ideal containers for viewing unconscious material that might otherwise remain hidden. etc. confront. From the vantage point of this study. meditation. We become the object.

and spiritual presence around us. 5) Sacriﬁcing the power of knowing is key to this process. 1995. so that it becomes a “third thing. of course. one would merely note that there is anger “in the ﬁeld. ways of resolving similar issues may need to be discussed. When a topic or feeling emerges. me. Envisioning the transcendent function as constantly at work in relationships has two notable impacts. First. the alchemical fourth.130
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Though Schwartz-Salant never connects his notion of the “third thing” or “third area” to the transcendent function. . psychic. The content can be imaginally thrust into the ﬁeld . the transcendent function. rather than attempting to locate the source of the feeling in myself or the other person. By this way of being. X involves. communication styles may need to be talked about. both of which are critical to the depth psychological endeavor. Instead of focusing on our respective subjective experiences. it is functionally the same. Instead of “I am angry at you” (which. .” (Schwartz-Salant. This analysis holds. It is important to remember that the ﬁeld is not just the physical space but the emotional. Mr. his third area is the metaphoric third. An interaction between me and Mr.” Then in place of trying to resolve the anger. and the ﬁeld (the metaphorical third) between us. Apologies or explanations may need to be made. psyche is a living. exists in the ﬁeld itself and does not necessarily belong to either person. p. . we can open to the possibility that this is the way psyche brings issues. emotions. where conscious and unconscious come together to produce something new. I can fully experience it and search for the deeper meaning of its eruption. Instead. and insights to us through a process we do not understand. X. we can surrender the idea that one of us motivated it or even that it “belongs” to either of us. By stepping back from the knowledge
. breathing presence bringing content to us for movement toward greater awareness. nothing just happens. however. That is. mental. The idea of the transcendent function as the ﬁeld provides new perspective on relationships. may be true). unconscious ﬁeld generated by psyche. that there is generally something hidden or deeper going on and that the surface interaction is the doorway into that metaphoric ﬁeld. using the transcendent function in this way requires us to let go of knowing whom the content of the interaction began with and assume that it relates to us both: To do this. each person coparticipates in an autonomous. one must be willing to sacriﬁce the power of knowing “whose content” one is dealing with and instead imagine that the content . and there is something that each can gain by standing back and asking what the ﬁeld offers. This view of personal interactions does not mean that we ignore what is occurring between the participants on an interpersonal level. one might just ponder what growth experience it may be offering. .

lockedout. We agreed that we would each talk about how any of the words struck us but not in relation to our ﬁght or the other person but only in relation to our own lives generally. the participants can actually open to the other issues that psyche is presenting. On an otherwise sunny morning in Venice. a representation of the ﬁeld. rage. A second and even more important implication of this notion is that by entering the ﬁeld instead of trying to locate and explain the feeling. Without comment from either one of us we wrote the following words alternately in the location in the circle that “felt right” (we both believe that the locations are signiﬁcant in that they probably express relationships or connections between the words. Alternately. we wrote words in the circle describing the energy we were feeling. the energy shifted to a deeper level almost immediately and we further agreed that either could add words to the ﬁeld. I was even drawn to connect Mother. She pulled out a small notebook and drew a large circle.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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that the anger is “mine” or “yours. incompetence. I felt that my wife was being overly dependent on me and making me do things I did not want to do. home. and abusive. responsibility. and childishness. The following were added: shame. The anger may be a small passageway that opens into a larger psychic ﬁeld where there is crucial learning for both people. A personal illustration here may help. oppression. my wife and I were traveling in Italy. incompetence. by avoiding the trap of giving undue scrutiny to the doorway. psychic terrain beneath. control. frustration. avoidance. my wife drew connections between Mother. escape. we decided to pause and explore what we had written. At one point. concepts. Soon we were embroiled in a heated argument. we can enter the room where the real treasure lies. she felt I was being nasty. we decided to retreat from the battle and try a different approach. Viewing the transcendent function as the metaphoric ﬁeld in every relationship interaction allows us to move beyond the issue that appears on the surface to the richer and more complex. and/or energies): Me Childishness Anger Boundaries Mother My Wife Oppression Power Control Responsibility
At that point. the storm clouds of marital strife gathered suddenly. Soon after completing the ﬁrst draft of this section. As we each spoke. selﬁsh. As we sat under a
.” we can enter the ﬁeld and seek a deeper meaning that transcends our respective positions. and power with a triangle. Since I had just the evening before been sharing my thinking about the transcendent function and the metaphoric third as expressed in the ﬁeld.

This can be a union state. the alchemical fourth. Living
. . choose to forgo such knowledge [of the dynamics of myself or the other person] and to sacriﬁce it to the state of “unknowing. In other words.” allowing the unknown to become the focus. A different kind of Three can then emerge in which the opposites are transcended. instead of projecting. When we got past trying to identify what each of us was “doing to the other. the Mother energy. however. What emerged was something entirely new. . I could then ask a silent question: What is the nature of the ﬁeld between us. then separated from the other person. (pp. . one can often feel a current inherent in the ﬁeld in which one feels alternately pulled toward. we have a responsibility to ascertain our role and ethical obligations. First. and responsibility. What had started out as an argument about relatively superﬁcial things ended up as a mutual soulsearching exploration into what was being presented to both of us by psyche through the metaphoric ﬁeld. At this stage. the alchemical coniunctio. and identifying events and people “outside of ourselves” as the source of reality. giving up the power or knowledge about another person can leave one in the position of focusing on and being affected by the ﬁeld itself. We were willing to imagine that our emotions were openings into deeper. within the metaphor. This is the rhythm of the coniunctio as a Three quality of the ﬁeld becoming Four. . What had begun as an adversarial. we are always inside whatever metaphoric ﬁeld we are cocreating. Both of us attribute what happened to our decision in the heat of the moment to surrender the idea that we knew what was at work psychologically. we must be responsible for cocreating that reality. blaming. . Each spoke to us individually in a different way and in a way that moved us differently.132
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tree together doing this exercise.” we were able to have an experience that felt sacred.” Rather. hand in hand. more powerful material in the ﬁeld. Though the experience in the moment is not really susceptible to verbal description. it transcended and joined the dependence and control I was feeling from my wife and the nastiness. and oppression my wife was feeling from me. control. 7–8) This style of consciousness has two important effects. That is to say. both feeling as though we had been touched by a numinous presence. what is our unconscious dyad like? In this manner. there is no “outside of ourselves. we open to the ﬁeld as to an object. . we were both profoundly struck by a psychic presence in the ﬁeld that was separate from both of us. surrendering to a state of “unknowing” allows movement into a deeper place (the metaphorical third) and the emergence of a coniunctio (the alchemical fourth): I could. abusiveness. As Schwartz-Salant (1995) describes. nasty dispute ended with us walking away. boundary. we both felt the presence of Mother. Further.

one must query: What is the metaphoric ﬁeld within which we are located. When the exploration can be focused on the metaphoric ﬁeld. living in a ﬁeld of eros. with regard to each cultural issue. I liberate myself to not only see the third thing (the relationship. The transcendent function in relationships means living perpetually in the attitude of seeing the mystery in what we used to take for granted.
SURVEYING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION IN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES Bringing the awareness of the transcendent function to social and cultural problems requires the same search for the metaphorical third and an openness to the alchemical fourth. the ﬁeld) that links me and the other person but also to allow (or even invite) the emergence of the other. . realizing the ordinary can be sacred. and what is the presence.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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within a metaphorical consciousness is a continuing invitation to examine one’s relationship to every experience and act in a responsible way. p. the issue can be moved to a deeper level of awareness with the opportunity for the emergence of a new. Living the transcendent function in this way demands nothing less than a radical shift in one’s day-to-day approach to life. an awareness of something bigger than the apparent interaction we are having. “the content [the larger spiritual or cultural issue] can be imaginally thrust into the ﬁeld . the alchemical fourth. We are then open to the other in any interaction. Indeed. opening to whatever wants to be shared. the new experience or insight. When I am able to free myself from the shackles of viewing an experience as something happening to me and see it as something that I cocreate. the alchemical fourth. even acute cultural problems can be transformed in signiﬁcant ways and something new can emerge as a response or demand. the telos. the connection. that is requesting voice? Applying Schwartz-Salant’s language in relation to the analytic third. one can practice it every day by merely engaging the ﬁeld that allows the epiphany of the other. The transcendent function is about the birth of soul in the moment. 5). transcendent perspective. If that deeper dialogue can then be followed by the added responsibility and ethical obligation to respond espoused by the alchemical attitude. it offers each of us the ability to experience the numinous in the everyday experience. That is. the numinosum. But this attitude has an even more profound impact: creating the space for the alchemical fourth to emerge. I free myself to see the sacred in the other person.
. . The sense of sacrality that we feel when we realize that a particular moment is happening for a speciﬁc reason (even if we do not know what that reason is) would be available to us always. that which is hidden or separate from me and the other person. so that it becomes a ‘third thing’” (1995. being a faithful witness without possessing. We can see each interaction as the ﬁeld calling to us for some response.

Let us not get confused here. or in culture. seminars. but we do nothing outside the analytic situation to remedy that. the transcendent function requires us to see the fear. in relationship. or any combination of these. In the last decade or so. This exhortation is not exclusive to depth psychologists. My wife and I did not create the ﬁeld in Venice. we are witness to disputes about afﬁrmative action. or through community workshops. and religious institutions must ﬁnd ways to bring the ﬁeld to greater consciousness. Second. When racial incidents present themselves in the culture. on a culture-wide basis. selﬁshness and greed. racism in the administration of justice. something new instead of the same old game of blame and recrimination. However. writing articles for mainstream magazines and newspapers. clergy people. cultural. Between any two people. the intrapsychic ﬁeld can be accessed relatively easily. First. Individuals and groups choose sides in the debate. and even more importantly. and rarely do we see a truly open discussion of what is really underneath it all. teachers. and the like. the transcendent function at work out of which can ﬂow the alchemical fourth. we merely concocted a way to consciously enter it. the human tendency to blame someone else for problems. the field which we cocreate together. the nature of the container is more complex and problematic than in the intrapsychic or interpersonal context. The cultural application of the transcendent function raises two interesting issues. the metaphoric ﬁeld is always present in vexing cultural issues. about the ﬁeld. it is not part of our culture to discuss things on this level. and projection as the ﬁeld that is presented to us all by psyche. fear of the other.134
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In the area of race relations. but gaining access to it may be more difﬁcult. depth psychologists must leave the safety of the consulting room and become active participants in the discussion of such issues. Only following an acknowledgment and discussion of the transcendent function and the metaphoric ﬁeld at a cultural level can we take responsibility as a group for
. It is time for depth psychology to stand up and be heard. Why do we not have philosophers. Whether it is making these points in television discussions. political. imagination and innovation are incredibly important. social. blame. Those in positions of leadership in media. In the same way. one might say the content or the ﬁeld is the fear of differences. and discrimination in a variety of areas. ethicists. with Jung’s active imagination and other techniques. Here. one must be much more imaginative in creating the instrumentalities for enunciating what is in the ﬁeld. The transcendent function is always present whether intrapsychically. and others who focus on values more involved in our public discourse? Bluntly put. we must ﬁnd a way to help move deeper in our cultural dialogue. for example. Using the transcendent function as a metaphoric ﬁeld. Allowing ourselves to hold these things in tension without pointing the ﬁnger at the other side is the metaphoric third. We bemoan the fact that the culture is in denial about its shadow. James Hillman and others have begun to express this pointedly. as the Venice experience demonstrates.

One such issue is the persistent ﬁght over abortion in this country. The cultural application of the transcendent function can be proﬁtably used particularly with social issues that manifest highly divisive positions since those positions probably evidence affect indicative of a deeper. Or the content of the ﬁeld might be all these things. some might say. Again. and sexual responsibility are certainly implicated as well as family and family structure. It has an autonomy of its own and will. “I need my gun to protect against and resist the absolute power and force of the sovereign government that might oppress me”) of the American culture are present. Gun control is another area that could beneﬁt from the cultural application of the transcendent function. move the psychic energy toward some new attitude or breakthrough. those in favor of gun control decry the use of guns urging registration or even a full ban.
. without guidance from us. Merely by being open to what we imagine the underlying issue to be. the abortion battle. Any approach with the transcendent function at its core would seek to engage those in a cultural ﬁeld so that an alchemical fourth. religious. uncompromising positions that are the hallmark of the transcendent function analysis. The very names “pro-choice” and “pro-life” exhibit the kind of antithetical. This is not to say that the debate on abortion itself is not an important one.. the metaphoric third. Once again. and the antithetical positions of the opposing camps. Others might point to the inherent lack of values and ideals in the capitalist system. Still others would undoubtedly comment on the breakdown of our social. This century has certainly seen a massive shift in the roles of men and women in the workplace. What is the subject matter that constitutes the metaphoric ﬁeld? What is really at work here? Sexuality. along with the intensiﬁcation of the abortion debate has come the emergence of the religious right and the debate about family values. but rather an observation that it undoubtedly constitutes a doorway to a deeper set of issues. waving the Second Amendment. also plays a part. denied ﬁeld. anti-authoritarian roots (e. an entirely new and transcendent thing could emerge. and in our social and political institutions. One ﬁnal contemporary cultural issue that could be seen through the lens of the transcendent function is the struggle between the genders. The preeminence of individualism over the good of the group. Only then is there any possibility for the emergence of a paradigm-shifting event in consciousness. in the home. sexual freedom. Gun owners. we need not decide which content is the right one. we engage the transcendent function. vehemently oppose any substantial form of gun control. and family institutions. But what is the ﬁeld? What deeper set of issues is being denied and is surfacing in this ungainly way? Commentators might offer different ideas about the content of the ﬁeld in this case. may be metaphoric camouﬂage for the deeper division between the Puritan roots of our culture and the values inherent in the liberal tradition as it has grown during the twentieth century. Certainly the revolutionary.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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addressing the larger points being presented. viewed from the perspective of the transcendent function.g. Indeed. Viewed in this way.

If we truly accept responsibility for acting in an ethical and responsible way in sharing our resources. political discussions are highly polemical and manipulative. it has not yet made its way into the mainstream debate of the culture. the subject matter that the transcendent function seems to be working upon is competition for resources. the transcendent function allows us to create a metaphoric ﬁeld in which the antitheses of opposing camps can be held. the feminist movement. It offers us a way of envisioning cultural matters that avoids the either/or of opposing camps on important ideas. emotions. we open the possibility for the emergence of an alchemical fourth or a new insight as to how best to handle diminishing resources. a clue that there is a deeper metaphoric ﬁeld. However. disruptive competition for inﬂuence. The transcendent function operates not only intrapsychically and in relationships but is also present in social issues. So long as we continue to divide into camps opposing one another instead of opening to the content of the ﬁeld upon which the battle is being waged. relating. The male is generally associated with autonomy. 1994). Thus. individuality. the reemergence of feminine archetypal values and the falling away of the dominance of the masculine? Some have posited this very theory (see.
TRANSCENDENT FUNCTIONING IN THE GARDEN OF EVERYDAY LIFE A metaphoric approach to the transcendent function is also instrumental in reclaiming it from the dusty shelves of academic depth psychology and ushering
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gender equality has been and continues to be an incendiary issue. creating the potential for the emergence of something new. and outward projection while the female with the body. What is really at work? What are the hidden issues? Here. in political discussions. Turning to our institutions. if not substitute it as the subject. and receiving. As it does with intrapsychic disparities. and some New Age circles. intuition. Is it possible that the struggle between men and women in culture is merely a surface manifestation of a deeper ﬁeld. intellect. imagination. e. 1991. The transcendent function and its application to cultural issues provides a way around (or underneath) the barriers.g. we could particularly beneﬁt from the transcendent function in our political and governmental discourse.. power. The awareness of the metaphor would allow us to attempt an honest exchange on how resources and power can be shared and allocated in a way that reﬂects the underlying philosophy we espouse. and Meador. we might be well served to look beneath the surface at traditionally male and female values and question whether it is really those values struggling for change. Despite the avowed egalitarian and democratic foundations of our system. Tarnas. and it has certainly surfaced within depth psychology. rationality. nature. In this case. we remain stuck. The alchemical approach would be to at least be aware of that ﬁeld. it is rife with inequality that creates ﬁerce.

Contentiousness is a good indicator that something unconscious is being activated. attempting to access the ﬁeld in these situations. In rejecting the splits between apparent opposites (e. whether inside or outside the consulting room. Each relationship interaction provides an opportunity to engage the ﬁeld. and idea/fact). the world exists only in relation to a participant observer. at the most general level. how can we animate the transcendent function in our lives? This really amounts to several separate inquiries: How do we better recognize and increase the transcendent function? How can we be more in touch with the transcendent function when it is at work? How can we be more open to the transcendent function in situations where it would be helpful? Is there anything we can do to increase the incidence of the transcendent function? These questions can be addressed at several different levels. it acknowledges that consciousness and the world are always inextricably intertwined. animating the transcendent function is as much a perspective as it is an act.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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it into everyday life. and integrating the unconscious. What is being presented to me and the other person with whom I am interacting? What is beneath the surface? What is the content of our interaction that might provide clues to unconscious material seeking to be made conscious? Is there any part of my shadow present here? This attitude is particularly effective in situations where there is conﬂict or dissonance in a relational interaction. Using a viviﬁed transcendent function. By this way of thinking. The transcendent function is omnipresent as well. relating to. The transcendent function is a key participant in the constant process of psychological transformation that proceeds. The transcendent function allows us to see all the world as a way of embodying. That is why alchemical thinking is so important to this discussion. There may well be concrete steps to be taken to address the dispute.. the metaphorical third. At the interpersonal and cultural levels. the present study has disinterred its far more expansive uses in the world. operating at various levels and at varying intensities throughout our daily activities. The unconscious is not tucked away neatly so that we can periodically do some drawing or sculpting to allow it to emerge. The unconscious is ever present. it is continually being integrated in varying doses into consciousness. to see something we would not otherwise see or make conscious something that is unconscious. the transcendent function requires a concerted effort to implement the ideas set forth in the previous two sections. The question is. This approach does not mean that one hundred percent of every problematic situation is a message from the unconscious. as the sections of this chapter illustrate. The relation between the observer and the world. creates the reality. An animated transcendent
. Though the way Jung often spoke of the transcendent function may evoke for many only its application to clinical work. spirit/matter. both defuses and deepens them. mind/body.g. It cascades forth constantly in our everyday reality. First. independent of one’s conscious will.

I have experienced a huge increase in awareness and satisfaction. which asserts that
. the transcendent function has much in common with Martin Buber’s concept of “the Word” in his seminal essay “Dialogue” (1948). . . and that it is now only a matter of taking the answering on myself. I have also noticed a signiﬁcant decrease in my desire to blame others. It is as if I have hired this person to reveal something unconscious to me. and it is only a matter of my “accepting. to this very man before me. Sufﬁce it to say that bringing this awareness into our daily interactions not only improves the relationships but deepens our psychological experience.” acknowledging words as calls to action that come from an autonomous place beyond the person speaking them: It is a different matter when . . in who knows what kind of speech. The effect of having this said to me is completely different from that of looking on and observing. This is the focus and message of the emerging ﬁeld of ecopsychology. The limits of the possibility of dialogue are the limits of awareness. . . It can be something about this man. . . as that solitary man silently confessed his secret to his neighbour on the seat. There he speaks of “becoming aware. It can be an animal. . speaks something to me that enters my own life. a man. however. it may be that . But it can also be something about myself. . but perhaps I have only to learn something.138
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function would. I am to answer some other person at some other time and place. But in each instance a word demanding an answer has happened to me. The man himself in his relation to me has nothing to do with what is said . Perhaps I have to accomplish something about him. engage an awareness that there is probably something else going on. 9) A list of the ways in which the transcendent function can be brought into our everyday lives via relationships could go on forever. it is not they with whom I have issue but something in the ﬁeld that tugs at both of us. addresses something to me. Nothing can refuse to be the vessel for the Word. Having adopted this attitude while authoring the last part of this book. (p. for instance that he needs me. I can offer personal testimony as to its efﬁcacy and profundity. It by no means needs to be a man of whom I become aware. but it says it. .” It may be that I have to answer at once. . Thought of in this way. a plant. . We may term this way of perception becoming aware. something unconscious demanding to be heard. It is not he who says it to me. The last paragraph of Buber’s quote opens a second key area for activating the transcendent function: the environment that we live in. a stone. . . .

“[Ecopsychology’s] goal is to bridge our culture’s long-standing. in which there are doors and windows leading to the outer world. This can be done with large issues like global warming. You see. The purpose here is not to comprehensively review the ﬁeld of ecopsychology. breathing system that both contains us and with which we have an intimate relationship.g. the
. we can apply the same alchemical sensibility to our relationship with the environment as that urged for human relationships. the metaphoric third. to see the needs of the planet and the person as a continuum” (Roszak. This perspective requires us. Visualizing a ﬁeld or presence between ourselves and an element of nature (e. p. Just as another person can be seen as the other with whom I am creating a ﬁeld to experience the transcendent function. Rather. the aim is to discuss ecopsychology as a way to stimulate the transcendent function in our daily lives. historical gulf between the psychological and the ecological. or like turning our backs on them and imagining that this is the whole world. and it contains invaluable passageways into the unconscious. We are constantly in a ﬁeld with all that surrounds us. As long as we turn our eyes to the center of the room we are blissfully unaware of the fact that there is any archetypal situation whatever: we don’t collide with the elemental world outside. As one writer phrases it. or urban sprawl in much the same way that was set forth above for cultural issues. One way in which Jung forever changed depth psychology was by asserting that underneath each everyday experience were archetypal forces constantly at work. As he expressed in a 1936 seminar: That is the artiﬁciality of our conscious world.. It is like assuming that this room. Our interactions with the environment offer two such possibilities.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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ecology and psychology are inextricably intertwined because the planet and the individual are indivisible. possesses no such doors and windows. so with the environment. that is the prejudice. 14). day-to-day level. a rock) and inviting information from that ﬁeld can generate surprisingly powerful perspectives. a hummingbird. To the skeptic that sees such an endeavor as imagining or making believe. We don’t recognize the fact that just outside is a sea that can break in over our continent and drown our whole civilization. a ﬂowing river. a tree. particularly when we are in some state of dissonance with our surroundings. and the transcendent function are every bit as real to psyche as the concreteness of so-called reality. Ecopsychology exhorts us to see the world around us as more than our physical container and acknowledge it as a living. As a matter of fact. the hubris of consciousness—the assumption that we are in a perfectly reasonable world where everything can be regulated by laws. But it can also be done on a much more mundane. we would respond that fantasy. pollution. First. 1992. to search deeper for the content that we need to hold in tension for the emergence of a new perspective. others have done that elegantly.

we explain it by indigestion or something of the sort. . The use of the ﬁeld or transcendent function would follow the same lines we have previously drawn. Generally speaking. and then open the ﬂoodgates and let the water in. Freud and Jung. and I am merely seeking to make contact with the aspects of that psyche that are hidden to me. serve to increase or spark the transcendent function. A second way that our surroundings can catalyze the transcendent function is by our accepting the more radical tenet of ecopsychology that the world around us is not other at all but is the subject of which we are a small part. . 1995. my conscious attitude is like one component of the intrapsychic structure of the larger psyche. and when these monsters at times peep in or make a noise. nothing happens: we simply dry up. we can make it at the skin or we can take it as far out as you like—to the deep oceans and distant stars. pp. So it is as if we were building the most marvelous walls and dams. Since the cut between self and natural world is arbitrary. . 973–74) The openness to the transcendent function in the form of the metaphorical ﬁeld allows us to experience the archetypal in our everyday contacts with the environment. the following are named by way of illustration only: meditation. suspended in an elementary world. Freud and Jung both posited parts of psyche that are explainable only by taking into account the entire physical world around us: If we listen to . (1988a. nothing grows. According to this vision. xiv) This conception of the world psyche makes the everyday use of the transcendent function with our environment seem. (Hillman. as our consciousness is suspended in a world of monsters.
. just that. but we simply won’t see it. such activities are those which reduce the operation of our logical function and increase our awareness of an other or third between ourselves and our normal lives. there are numerous activities that. “me” is really the entire living ecosystem of which we are a part and “my psyche” is really the world psyche. For the soil of our consciousness dries up and becomes sterile if we don’t let in the ﬂood of the archetypes. . much more natural. as it were. . the most profoundly collective and unconscious self is the natural material world. Finally. This view holds that the individual human self is a ﬁction we concoct to make sense of things. Though there are countless examples of this kind of activity.140
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whole room is. if we don’t expose the soil to the inﬂuence of the elements. drawing the line of demarcation between “me” and “not-me” at the boundary of our own skin is narcissistic. p. in a way. when incorporated into our normal lives.

Enunciated by Jung as an integral part of his psychology in 1916 immediately after his own unsettling confrontation with the unconscious. Through this extension of Jung’s ideas. the root metaphor for psyche or being psychological
. we come to the end of our hermeneutic exploration of the transcendent function. the metaphorical third.
CONCLUDING REMARKS Thus. Thus. theater. and central to the individuation process. poetry. yoga. new dimensions and. By holding each event. generally seen as the uniting of the opposites of consciousness and the unconscious from which a new attitude emerges. and tai chi. indeed. in every interaction is the possibility of the emergence of something completely new. ambiguities. the transcendent function was seen by Jung as uniting the opposites. a new image. a coniunctio. the transcendent function is implicated in every situation. it carries with it untold magic. In exploring the details of the transcendent function and its connection to other Jungian constructs. the alchemical fourth. the transcendent function becomes a tool of daily living. within and contained by the transcendent function. person. the numinosum in our everyday experiences. relationship. unknown. music. It also undoubtedly reﬂects his own personal experience in coming to terms with the unconscious. play. third posture that transcends the two.Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life
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artwork. Jung portrayed the transcendent function as operating through symbol and fantasy and mediating between the opposites of consciousness and the unconscious to prompt the emergence of a new. a new element is invited to emerge. dance. These and other similar activities allow the mind to quiet down and thereby naturally come into closer contact with hidden. It potentiates transformation in each instant.6 the alchemical attitude toward the transcendent function allows us to experience new insights. a new insight. thing in Jungian terms. thought. Further. Viewed in this way. each situation we face is a kind of alchemical vessel in which consciousness and the imagos of the unconscious face each other. the alchemical fourth as we have called it in this chapter. the function or process within Jung’s pantheon of psychic structures. Though this may seem a huge responsibility. this work has unearthed signiﬁcant changes. an entity separate and apart from the participants and the ﬁeld in which they sit. and (2) the expansive transcendent function. and event we face each moment of each day. it has identiﬁed two separate images of the transcendent function: (1) the narrow transcendent function. and inconsistencies in Jung’s writings. The transcendent function is the metaphorical ﬁeld or relationship between them from which a new integration can occur: a new third. transforming psyche. Whether we acknowledge it or not. reading. creative writing. or unconscious material. challenge.

Through that exploration. Simply put. a societal issue. Finally. By looking at analogous concepts ﬂowing from the ancient art of alchemy. The book has also identiﬁed and explored several archetypal patterns implicated by the transcendent function. liminality and initiation. and is the core of the individuation process. and transcendence. autochthonous yearnings of psyche to seek connection (even between seemingly unconnectable things) and to move deeper. a new attitude or situation. The expansive transcendent function has been explored further by surveying other schools of psychology. and evaluating the transcendent function alongside structures or processes in those other schools which play similar mediatory and/or transitional roles. Hermes energy. the third. we identiﬁed several techniques for applying the transcendent in these broader contexts and discussed how they might be used. as the root metaphor for exchanges between conscious and the unconscious. between us and other. the rhythm of consciousness. with both depth and non-depth orientations. the core of psychological awareness and psychological transformation. is the wellspring from whence ﬂows other key Jungian structures such as the archetypes and the Self. the subject-object chasm. This book has also posited that the expansive transcendent function. in our institutions. the environment. the book concluded with an examination of how the transcendent function can be accessed more in relationships. the transcendent function is realized whenever we open to the ﬁeld. or our daily routine. and in our daily lives. including the binary opposition inherent in consciousness. the transcendent function was traced in its archetypal core to the neither/nor. Through this process we can make space for the emergence of the alchemical fourth.142
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that subsumes Jung’s pantheon and that apprehends the most fundamental psychic activity of interacting with the unknown or other. whether the other is a person. the metaphoric third.
. in culture and society.

APPENDIX A
Textual Comparison of the 1916 Version to the 1958 Version of “THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION”
.

.

We can also put it the other way <round> and say that the conscious behaves in a complementary manner towards the unconscious. text that is underlined is text that Jung added to the 1916 version when he revised it to create the 1958 version]
THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION [(1916)] There is nothing mysterious or metaphysical about the term “ transcendent function.” It means a psychological function comparable in its way to a mathematical function of the same name.] <seldom agree as to their contents and their tendencies.Textual Comparison of the 1916 Version to the 1958 Version of “THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION”
[Note: Text with line through it is text that was removed from the 1916 version when Jung revised it in 1958. but is [because] <due to the fact that> the unconscious behaves in a compensatory or complementary manner towards the conscious. Experience in analytical psychology <has> amply [shows] <shown> that the conscious and the unconscious [have a curious tendency not to agree. The psychological “transcendent function” arises from the union of conscious and unconscious contents. The reasons for this <relationship> are:
145
.> This lack of [agreement] <parallelism> is not just accidental or purposeless. which is a function of real and imaginary numbers.

This <readily> explains the complementary attitude of the unconscious towards the conscious. or] <.146
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1. so that all elements [which] <that> are too weak remain in the unconscious. but which in the course of time and under suitable conditions will enter the light of consciousness. 2.> in other words [his] <. The unconscious contains all the fantasy combinations which have not yet attained the threshold intensity. technology. for they all presuppose the> reliable continuity <and directedness> of the [psychic] <conscious> process. [inhibits all incompatible material (also called] <exercises an inhibition (which Freud calls> censorship) [. The psychotic <. because of its directed functions. The deﬁniteness and directedness of the conscious mind [is a function which has] <are qualities that have> been acquired relatively late in the history of the human race.> is [completely] under the direct inﬂuence of the unconscious. for they both presuppose a] <them science. neither science nor society could exist.whereby this] <on all> incompatible material [sinks into] <. 3. and [is] <are> for instance largely lacking among primitives [even] today. [The conscious forms] <Consciousness constitutes> the momentary process of adaptation. with the result that it sinks into> the unconscious. and civilization would be impossible. and which in turn [has] <have> rendered humanity the highest service.the> partition between [the] conscious and [the] unconscious is much more permeable. [This function is] <These qualities are> often impaired in the neurotic patient. [while] <whereas> the unconscious contains not only all the forgotten material of the individual’s own past. [The conscious] <Consciousness> possesses a threshold intensity which its contents must [attain] <have attained>. but [also] all <the> inherited behaviour traces [of the human spirit] <constituting the structure of the mind>. For the [professional man] <statesman. 4. Without [it.> on the other hand <. The deﬁniteness and directedness of the conscious mind [is an] <are> extremely important [function. [The conscious] <Consciousness>.] <acquisitions> which humanity has [acquired] <bought> at a very heavy sacriﬁce. and engineer> as well as <for> the simplest labourer [this
. who differs [to a greater or lesser extent] from the normal person in that his threshold of consciousness gets shifted more easily [. doctor.

Appendix A

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function is indispensable. A man’s worthlessness to society increases in proportion to the degree of impairment of this function] <, these qualities are absolutely indispensable. We may say in general that social worthlessness increases to the degree that these qualities are impaired> by the unconscious. Great artists and others distinguished by creative gifts are <,> of course <,> exceptions to this rule. The very advantage [of ] <that> such individuals [lies] <enjoy consists precisely> in the permeability of the partition separating the conscious and <the> unconscious. But<,> for <those> professions and [trades] <social activities> which [demand] <require> just this continuity and reliability [of the function] <,> these exceptional human beings are as a rule of little value. It is therefore understandable <,> and even necessary <,> that in each individual [this function] <the psychic process> should be as [steady] <stable> and [as] deﬁnite as possible, since the exigencies of life demand it. But this involves a certain disadvantage: the quality of directedness makes for the inhibition or [the] exclusion of all those psychic elements which appear to be, or really are, incompatible [, i. e.] <with it, i.e.,> likely to [change] <bias> the [preconceived] <intended> direction to suit their [purposes] <purpose> and so lead to an undesired goal. [How can it be recognized whether the collateral] <But how do we know that the concurrent> psychic material is [compatible or not? It can be recognized by an act of judgement which is based on the same attitude which determined the preconceived direction. This judgement is therefore] <“incompatible”? We know it by an act of judgment which determines the direction of the path that is chosen and desired. This judgment is> partial and prejudiced, [for it is based exclusively on what is considered to be compatible with the directed process at the time. This judgement arising from an opinion is always based in its turn on experience, i. e.] <since it chooses one particular possibility at the cost of all the others. The judgment in its turn is always based on experience, i.e.,> on what is already known [and acknowledged as true. It] <. As a rule it> is never based on what is new, what is still unknown, and what under certain conditions might considerably enrich the directed process. It is evident that it cannot be, for the very reason that the unconscious [is blocked] <contents are excluded from consciousness>. Through such acts of judgement the directed [function] <process necessarily> becomes [of necessity ] one-sided, even though the rational [judge-

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ment] <judgment> may appear many-sided and unprejudiced. The [extremest prejudice may even lie in the rationality of the judgements] <very rationality of the judgment may even be the worst prejudice>, since we call reasonable what appears [to be] reasonable to us. What appears to us unreasonable <is> therefore [is] doomed to be excluded because of its irrational character. It may really be irrational, but may equally well merely appear irrational without actually being so [,] when seen from another standpoint. One-sidedness is an [inevitable] <unavoidable> and [essential] <necessary> characteristic of the directed process, for direction [means] <implies> one-sidedness. [One-sidedness] <It> is an advantage and a drawback at the same time. Even when [there is no externally recognizable] <no outwardly visible> drawback <seems to be present>, there is always an equally pronounced counter-position in the unconscious, unless it happens to be the ideal case where all the psychic components are [moving] <tending> in one and the same direction. This possibility cannot be disputed in theory, but in practice <it> very rarely happens. The counter-position in the unconscious is not dangerous so long as it does not possess any high energy <-> value. But if the [energy value] <tension> increases as [the] <a> result of too great [a one-sidedness in consciousness, which affords the energy too little difference in potential, then the unconscious causes interference, disturbance in the form of symptoms, and interruption of the rational continuity, usually just in] <one-sidedness, the counter-tendency breaks through into consciousness, usually just at> the moment when it is most [vital to carry through] <important to maintain> the conscious [function] <direction>. Thus the speaker makes a slip of the tongue just [in the moment] when he particularly wishes not to say anything stupid. This moment is critical because it possesses [the highest] <a high> energy tension [, and] <which,> when the unconscious is <already> charged [it] <,> may easily [provoke the] <“spark” and> release [of ] the unconscious content. [Life] <Civilized life> today demands concentrated <,> directed <conscious> functioning and [with it] <this entails> the risk of <a> considerable dissociation from the unconscious. The further we are able to [detach] <remove> ourselves from the unconscious through directed functioning, the more readily [can] a powerful counter-position [be built] <can build> up in the

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unconscious, and when this breaks [loose] <out> it may have [devastating] <disagreeable> consequences. [Through analytical psychology we have won deep] <Analysis has given us a profound> insight into the [signiﬁcance] <importance> of unconscious inﬂuences, and <we> have learnt so much from this for our [conscious life, that we have found it unwise after termination of the analytical treatment to neglect the unconscious completely. Out of an obscure recognition of ] <practical life that we deem it unwise to expect an elimination or standstill of the unconscious after the so-called completion of the treatment. Many patients, obscurely recognizing> this state of affairs [many patients are unable to decide] <, have great difﬁculty in deciding> to give up the analysis, [though they] <although both they and the analyst> ﬁnd the feeling of dependency irksome. [Many] <Often they> are [even] afraid to risk [attempting to stand] <standing> on their own feet, because they know from [manifold ] experience that the unconscious [in an] <can intervene again and again in their lives in a disturbing and> apparently unpredictable [way can break into and dangerously disturb their lives] <manner>. It was formerly assumed that patients were ready to cope with [the problems of ] <normal> life as soon as they had [themselves learnt so much of practical methods that they were in a position to analyse their dreams themselves. This idea was certainly good, as long as we knew nothing better. But greater experience has shown that even skilled analysts, who had completely mastered the method of dream analysis, were forced to] <acquired enough practical self-knowledge to understand their own dreams. Experience has shown, however, that even professional analysts, who might be expected to have mastered the art of dream interpretation, often> capitulate before their own dreams [not, to be sure, in regard to their analytic-reductive interpretation but their synthetic or constructive handling. It is of course much easier to tear down than to build up. If then] <and have to call in the help of a colleague. If even one who purports to be> an expert in the method proves unable to [deal adequately with] <interpret> his own dreams <satisfactorily>, how much less can this be expected of the patient. <Freud’s hope that the unconscious could be “ exhausted” has not been fulﬁlled. Dream-life and intrusions from the unconscious continue—mutatis mutandis—unimpeded.

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There is> [I must interpolate here that there exists] a widespread prejudice that [the] analysis is something like a “cure,” to which one submits for a time [,] <and is> then [to be] discharged healed. That is a layman’s error left over from the early days of [analysis] <psychoanalysis>. Analytical treatment [is a new adjustment of the] <could be described as a readjustment of > psychological attitude [,] achieved with the [aid] <help> of the [physician] <doctor>. Naturally this newly [-] won attitude, which is better suited to [external] <the inner> and [internal] <outer> conditions, can last a considerable time, but there are very few cases [in which] <where> a single “cure” [has such success] <is permanently successful>. It is true that medical optimism has [at no time been sparing with blatant] <never stinted itself of> publicity and has always been able to report [miraculous cures of indisputable permanence] <deﬁnitive cures>. We must, however, not let ourselves be deceived by the all-too-human attitude of the practitioner, but [must always remember the warning that the good should not be the enemy of the better. We] <should always remember that the life of the unconscious goes on and continually produces problematical situations. There is no need for pessimism; we> have seen too many [good] <excellent> results achieved [by honest thorough work to be pessimistic with regard to analysis] <with good luck and honest work for that>. But this need not prevent [our] <us from> recognizing that analysis is no once [and for all cure but ﬁrst of all an individual, basic, new adjustment. As far as individual attitudes are concerned, not a single one is valid unconditionally and] <-and-for-all “cure”; it is no more, at ﬁrst, than a more or less thorough readjustment. There is no change that is unconditionally valid> over a long period of time. [There are, to be sure] <Life has always to be tackled anew. There are, of course>, extremely durable collective attitudes which [can be called collective morals or religion. But a] <permit the solution of typical conﬂicts. A> collective attitude [is not an individual one; its effect upon the individual is merely like that of ] <enables the individual to ﬁt into society without friction, since it acts upon him like> any other condition of life. [The individual must adjust to the latter, just as in one way or another he must adjust to the collective attitude. This is the reason why in practical analytical work we only have to deal with the individual attitude] <But the patient’s difﬁculty consists precisely in the fact that his individual

too. In comparison with] <. and there is absolutely no collective norm that could replace an individual solution without loss>. This cannot be done by condemning the contents
. The new attitude gained in the course of analysis tends sooner or later to become inadequate in one way or another. [This] <That> is why even patients who have had a thorough analysis often <turn to their old analyst for help> at some later period [turn again to their former physician for help. No rational solution can do justice to this task. Nevertheless. Man needs difﬁculties. The question is: what kind of mental and moral attitude is it necessary to have towards the disturbing inﬂuences of the unconscious. In the light of> medical practice in general there is nothing very unusual about this. these difﬁculties prove to be fairly frequent and may at times be really troublesome. because the constant ﬂow of life again and again demands fresh adaptation. <The basic question for the therapist is not how to get rid of the momentary difﬁculty. and necessarily so. We shall probably never be meant to possess a therapy which gets] rid of all difﬁculties [. Adaptation is never achieved once and for all. otherwise normal people would be the most gratifying patients]. What concerns us here is only an excessive amount of them. And experience shows that thesis true up to a point>. One might [of course] <certainly> demand of analysis that it [ought to] <should> enable the [individual] <patient> to gain new orientations in later life. but it [contradicts] <does contradict> a certain misplaced enthusiasm on the part of the therapist <as well as the view that analysis constitutes a unique “cure. which not infrequently conceals a multitude of sins.Appendix A
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problem cannot be ﬁtted without friction into a collective norm. Experience shows this to be the case to a certain extent] <undue difﬁculty. but how future difﬁculties may be successfully countered. it requires the solution of an individual conﬂict if the whole of his personality is to remain viable.” In the last resort it is highly improbable that there could ever be a therapy that got> [. without [difﬁculty. We often ﬁnd that patients who have gone through a thorough analysis have considerably less difﬁculty with new adjustments later <on>. and how can it be conveyed to the patient? The answer obviously consists in getting rid of the separation between conscious and unconscious. they are necessary for health.

the synthetic or constructive treatment of the dream were a means which could be used subjectively.e. without loss of the unconscious.152
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of the unconscious in a one-sided way. [i. he] <i. It is called> “transcendent” [designates the fact that this function mediates] <because it makes> the transition from one attitude to another [. However infantile [such] <this> dependence may appear [.. In this function of the [physician] <analyst> lies one of the many important [aspects] <meanings> of the transference. If the analyst knows nothing of these potentialities> he cannot help the patient <to develop them> either.] <to be. then the dream content together with the knowledge of the conscious mind would be an ideal combination of those two factors. The term] <. which as a rule is out of the question. since the physician is aware in principle of the potential existence of this knowledge. The constructive method however presupposes some conscious knowledge. of which] the transcendent function [is composed. which is vital to him. unless [physician] <analyst> and patient together devote [a] proper scientiﬁc study to this problem. [By] <The patient clings by> means of the transference [the patient clings to the person who promises] <to the person who seems to promise> him a renewal of [adjustment] <attitude>. through [the transference] <it> he seeks this change. If the physician himself knows nothing about it. but rather by recognizing their signiﬁcance in compensating the one-sidedness of consciousness and by taking this signiﬁcance into account. therefore. The tendencies of the conscious and the unconscious are the two factors that together make up> [If.> helps him <to> bring [together] conscious and unconscious [and. the suitably trained [physician] <analyst> mediates the transcendent function for the patient. In actual practice. even though he may not be conscious of [it] <doing so>. helps him make the transition to] <together and so arrive at> a new attitude. something] <ﬁgure> absolutely necessary [to] <for> life. which the patient too can be made to realize in the course of treatment. then in this respect] <organically possible. therefore. as pointed out. the [physician frequently] <analyst> has the character of [something] <an> indispensable [.> it [involves] <expresses> an extremely
. The constructive or synthetic method of treatment presupposes insights which are at least potentially present in the patient and can therefore be made conscious. For the patient. e. by compensating the onesidedness of the conscious mind.

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important demand which, if disappointed, [frequently] <often> turns to bitter [hate against] <hatred of> the [physician] <analyst>. It is therefore important to know what this demand concealed in the transference <is> really [is about] <aiming at>; there is a tendency to understand [this demand] <it> in [a] <the> reductive sense only, as [a projected] <an erotic> infantile fantasy. [That] <But that> would mean [however] taking this fantasy, which is usually concerned with the parents, literally <,> as though the patient <,> or rather [the] <his> unconscious [again, or] <,> still [,] had the expectations the child once had towards the parents. [In a certain sense] <Outwardly> it still is the same expectation of the child for the help and protection of the parents, but [now it should be taken only in a symbolic sense as an unconscious] <in the meantime the child has become an adult, and what was normal for a child is improper in an adult. It has become a> metaphorical expression of the [demand for help in achieving the new attitude. The unconscious metaphor for this demand often has a very deﬁnite sexual formulation, which of course should be reduced to repressed (infantile) sexual fantasies as long as the patient is not conscious of the fact of the repressed sexuality. It would, however, be a meaningless and useless schematization simply to continue in this reductive way, if ] <not consciously realized need for help in a crisis. Historically it is correct to explain the erotic character of the transference in terms of the infantile eros. But in that way the meaning and purpose of the transference are not understood, and its interpretation as an infantile sexual fantasy leads away from the real problem. The understanding of the transference is to be sought not in its historical antecedents but in its purpose. The onesided, reductive explanation becomes in the end nonsensical, especially when> absolutely nothing new [is gained] <comes out of it except the increased resistances of the patient>. The sense of boredom which then appears in the analysis is [nothing but the] <simply an> expression of the monotony and poverty of [ideas not] <ideas—not> of the unconscious, as is sometimes supposed, but of the analyst, who [forgets] <does not understand> that these fantasies [are] <should> not <be taken> merely [to be understood] in a concretistic-reductive sense, but [also] <rather> in a constructive one. When this is realized [the state of stagnation is then often relieved] <, the standstill is often overcome> at a single stroke.

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[Through constructive] <Constructive> treatment of the unconscious [the foundation is laid for ] <, that is, the question of meaning and purpose, paves the way for the patient’s insight into that process which I call> the transcendent function. [However, at ﬁrst, the transcendent function is artiﬁcial, in so far as the knowledge of the physician plays an essential part in it. This is perhaps the point at which to say -] <It may not be superﬂuous, at this point, to say > a few words about the frequently heard objection that the constructive method is <simply> “suggestion.” The method is based <rather,> on [the fact that] <evaluating> the symbol [(i. e. the] <(i.e.,> dream [picture] <-image> or fantasy) [, is no longer evaluated semeiotically] <not semiotically>, as a sign for elementary instinctual processes, but [really] symbolically [, whereby] <in the true sense,> the word “symbol” [is] <being> taken to mean the best possible expression [of ] <for> a complex fact not yet clearly [grasped] <apprehended> by consciousness. Through reductive analysis of this expression nothing is [won but the elementary components, which could equally well be expressed by innumerable other analogies. Reductive analysis of the symbol in] <gained but a clearer view of the elements originally composing it, and though I would not deny that increased insight into these elements may have its advantages, it nevertheless bypasses the question of purpose. Dissolution of the symbol at> this stage of analysis is therefore [thoroughly reprehensible. The method of obtaining the complex meaning] <a mistake. To begin with, however, the method for working out the complex meanings> suggested by the symbol is [at ﬁrst, it is true,] the same as in reductive analysis. The [free] associations of the patient are obtained, and [they are] as a rule [good] <they are plentiful> enough to be used in the synthetic method. [Again they are used, not in a semiotic, but in a symbolic sense. The formula runs: What is being looked for is comparable to the association A, B, C, etc., as well as the manifest dream content.] <Here again they are evaluated not semiotically but symbolically. The question we must ask is: to what meaning do the individual associations A, B, C point, when taken in conjunction with the manifest dream-content?> An unmarried woman patient dreamt [,] <that> someone [gives] <gave> her a wonderful, richly ornamented, [ancient] <antique> sword dug up out of a tumulus [:] <.>

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Her father’s dagger, which he once ﬂashed in the sun in front of her. It made a great impression on her. Her father was in every respect an energetic, strong-willed man, with an impetuous temperament, and adventurous in love affairs. A Celtic bronze sword: Patient is proud of her Celtic ancestry. The Celts are full of temperament, impetuous, passionate. The ornamentation has a mysterious look about it, ancient tradition, runes, [sign] <signs> of ancient wisdom, ancient [civilisations] <civilizations>, heritage of mankind, brought to light again out of the grave. Analytical Interpretation Patient has a pronounced father complex and a rich tissue of sexual fantasies about her father, whom she lost early. She always put herself in her mother’s place, although with strong resistances towards her father. She has never been able to accept a man like her father and has therefore chosen weakly, neurotic men against her will. Also in the analysis violent resistance towards the physician-father. The dream digs up her wish for her father’s “weapon <.>” The rest is clear. <In theory, this would immediately point to a phallic fantasy.> Constructive Interpretation It is as if the patient needed such a weapon. Her father had the weapon. He was energetic, lived accordingly, and also took upon himself the difﬁculties inherent in his temperament. Therefore, though living a passionate, exciting life he was not neurotic. This weapon is a very ancient heritage of mankind, which lay buried in the patient and was brought to light through excavation (analysis). The weapon has to do with insight, with wisdom. It is a means of attack and defence. Her father’s weapon was a passionate [,] unbending will, with which he made his way through life. Up till now the patient has been the opposite in every respect. She is just on the point of realizing that a person can also will something and need not merely be driven, as she had always believed. The will based on a knowledge of life and <on> insight is an ancient heritage of the human race, which also is in her, but till now lay buried, for [she is] in this respect, too, <she is> her father’s daughter. But she

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had not appreciated this till now, because her character had been that of a perpetually whining, pampered, spoilt child. She was extremely passive and completely given to sexual fantasies. In this case there was no [further] need of <any> supplementary analogies on the part of the [physician] <analyst> . The patient’s associations [had] provided all that was necessary. [Against] <It might be objected that> this treatment of the dream [it is possible to make the objection that it ] involves suggestion. But [then] this ignores the fact that [without inner readiness for it] a suggestion is never accepted [. Or,] <without an inner readiness for it, or> if after great insistence it is accepted, it is immediately lost again. A suggestion [which] <that> is accepted for any length of time [,] always presupposes a marked psychological readiness [,] which is merely brought [to the surface] <into play> by the so-called suggestion. This objection is therefore thoughtless [,] and [endows] <credits> suggestion with a magical power it in no way possesses, otherwise suggestion therapy would have an enormous effect and would render analytical procedures quite superﬂuous. But this is [by no means so] <far from being the case. Furthermore, the charge of suggestion does not take account of the fact that the patient’s own associations point to the cultural signiﬁcance of the sword>. After this digression <,> let us return to the question of the transcendent function. We have seen that <during treatment> the transcendent function [during treatment] is <,> in a sense <, an> “artiﬁcial” [,] <product> because it is [substantially] <largely> supported by the [physician. If however] <analyst. But if> the patient is to stand on his own feet he must [make this function his own. I have already mentioned that the] <not depend permanently on outside help. The> interpretation of dreams would be an ideal [instance of cooperation between unconscious and conscious productions, but it comes to grief because] <method for synthesizing the conscious and unconscious data, but> in practice the difﬁculties of [mastering it] <analyzing one’s own dreams> are too great. We must now make clear what is required to [create] <produce> the transcendent function. First and foremost, we need [to procure ] the unconscious material. The most readily accessible expression of unconscious processes is [represented by] <undoubtedly> dreams. The dream is <,> so to

> a pure product of the unconscious.] <too.] <and> reveal [distinct meaningful] <clear sense-> connections.> [:] There are. The distortions which may possibly be present] <. contaminations. superﬁcial speech. that they] <and> are very difﬁcult to understand from a constructive [viewpoint] <point of view>. because they make too great demands on the subject>. condensations. or visual type. Since the tension of the libido ] <Since the energy-tension> in sleep is usually very [slight. can be considered irrelevant. it bears all the characteristics of an “abaissement du niveau mental” ( Janet) <. They] <. but are usually easier to understand reductively. irrational> expressions. fragmentary character. clang. they> become dramatically composed [. the dreams acquire a more ordered character [. <the> unconscious
. dreams. With an increase [in] <of> energy <-> tension [in the unconscious]. etc.> or of low energy <-> tension: logical discontinuity. [This also] <The same> applies to the [frequent] subsequent <images and> ideas which <frequently> occur while dozing or [arise as free associations immediately] <rise up spontaneously> on waking. the dreams are such] <low. for instance. The [changes] <alterations> which the dream undergoes in the process of [becoming conscious. compared with conscious material. although this happens in an as yet unknown degree] <reaching consciousness. [poor formation of analogies.> They are [merely] further [fantasies] <fantasy-products> following the [line] <general trend> of the dream. dreams are > unsuitable or difﬁcult to make use of in developing the transcendent function [because they are usually too difﬁcult for the individual to understand] <. meaningless] <analogy formations. confusion. and the [feeling value] <valency> of the associations increases. superﬁcial associations of the verbal. since they [also] <too> derive from the unconscious and are not intentional distortions [based on insight. are > inferior expressions of unconscious contents [. although undeniable>. We must therefore look to other sources [in order to procure] <for the> unconscious material <. Possible modiﬁcations of the original dream-image> derive from a more superﬁcial [level] <layer> of the unconscious and therefore contain [useful unconscious] <valuable> material [.Appendix A
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speak <. Since the dream [is derived from] <originates in> sleep. [Stereotype dreams always signify particular tension in the unconscious. clang and visual associations. [Dreams are therefore in general] <In general.

Spontaneous] <Another source is spontaneous> fantasies [are another matter]. Where this is not so. if there is a greater tension in the unconscious.> be developed <with practice>. they] <often> contain much that is <obviously> signiﬁcant.> is that fantasies with a high libido <-> charge are actually lying ready. so that ﬁnally just when they are required there are no more.158
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
interferences in the waking state. This is [. what really is the point of all this? And why is it so absolutely necessary to bring [out] <up> the unconscious contents? Is it not sufﬁcient if from time to time they [just] come up [by themselves] <of their own accord> and make themselves <unpleasantly> felt? Does one have to drag the unconscious [onto] <to> the surface by force? On the contrary. The training consists ﬁrst of all in systematic [practice to eliminate] <exercises for eliminating> critical attention. which is indispensable for a meaningful synthesis. [The trouble. is that in the course of treatment they often disappear. [free associations. however. [But with practice the] <The> capacity to produce free fantasies can <. [they are] <it is> too fragmentary and [suffer from lack of ] <lacks> continuity.]Some [people] <patients> are able <to produce fantasies> at any time [to reproduce fantasies. should it not [rather] be the job of analysis to empty the unconscious of fantasies and in this way [to] render it [as] ineffective [as possible]?
. unconscious disturbances of action. however. They usually have [a] more composed and coherent character and [. which they allow] <. A prerequisite <. [Furthermore they occur so episodically and are so rare and fortuitous that they can hardly be used for our purpose. deceptions and lapses of memory. Such fantasies can be used. of course. Before [I enter] <entering> upon a discussion of these.” slips. etc. This material is generally more useful> for the reductive method than <for> the constructive one. This encourages the emergence of <any> fantasies [which] <that> are lying in readiness. I must yield to an [urge] <uncomfortable feeling> which tells me that the reader may be asking dubiously.] <naturally> not always the case. [only] <though> this particular talent is none too common. [whereby] <thus producing> a vacuum [is produced ]in consciousness. These phenomena are usually more valuable] <ideas “out of the blue. of course. allowing them> to rise up freely simply by eliminating critical attention. special measures are required. etc. symptomatic actions.

Among primitives. we need the unconscious contents to supplement the conscious attitude. The [question will of course be asked: Why cannot this contamination of the conscious with unconscious contents be left alone] <reader will no
. we never know what actually happens]<. as for instance with the primitives. There is no means at all by which the unconscious can be excluded from participation in life. But it is so accidental that it can never be relied upon. Since the contamination is unconscious to us.> and perhaps even rather weird. because those people who are least aware of their unconscious side are the most inﬂuenced by it. We must therefore ﬁrst [consider] <discuss> these natural objections.> unusual <. without being aware of it. since the methods for [making] <bringing the> unconscious [contents conscious] <to consciousness> may [appear to] <strike> the reader [new. This] <.] without [one] <our> having to search for it [. the most inﬂuenced by these contents. This is [the case with all those individuals in whom the conscious function is only to a slight extent directed. By this means the secret contamination of conscious and unconscious is] <contents which are about to inﬂuence our actions. so that they shall not hold us up when we begin demonstrating [these] <the> methods <in question>. As far as the primitives are concerned of course] <what does in fact happen with all those people who have a low level of conscious tension. Nowhere <.> really <. so that the secret interference of the unconscious and its unpleasant consequences can be> avoided.” [then] the unconscious could ﬂow in quite of its own accord. since the individual to whom his unconscious contents are of no concern at all is. [It is not this participation which concerns us here. The> secret participation of the unconscious [in life ] is everywhere present [. either in a positive or negative sense.] <as novel. as for instance primitives. But they are unconscious of what is happening.> no special measures are required to bring [out] <up> the unconscious. As we have seen. If the conscious attitude were only to a slight degree “directed.Appendix A
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It may be [good] <as well> to consider these misgivings in somewhat more detail. but as it remains unconscious we never really know what is going on> or what to expect.> are special measures required for this [purpose. what] <What> we are searching for is [the means] <a way> to make conscious those [unconscious contents which are on the point of inﬂuencing our actions.

of course. the regulating] <. Its> regulating inﬂuence [is suppressed as much as possible by all the might of ] <. at least that] of civilized man [. while on the other hand it is subject to the arbitrary manipulations of a one-sided will. exchanges. once] <is suppressed it loses> its regulating inﬂuence [is eliminated. But the] <. To [that] <this> extent the [human] psyche [. as it were. but as we have seen it [inevitably ] entails [a] <an unavoidable> one-sidedness. the regulating counteraction will always develop> in the unconscious. the corresponding regulatory counteraction develops] <just as the body is. If it cannot act in a regulating way. It is just this directedness [however which] <that> excludes them.> [It] <Now it> is a peculiarity of psychic functioning that <when> the unconscious counteraction [. [If ] <Were it not for the directedness of> the conscious function [were not directed. does not inhibit the counteraction. because the counteraction as such seems incompatible> with the conscious direction.] is no <longer a> self-regulating system [. It is as though the counteraction had lost its regulating inﬂuence.160
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doubt ask: why cannot the unconscious be left to its own devices>? Those who have not already had [very] <a few> bad [experience] <experiences> in this respect will [of course have] <naturally see> no reason to control the unconscious.] but <could> rather [could] be compared to a machine [. which goes on in spite of everything. it] <.] <doing so.> Directedness is [an absolute necessity] <absolutely necessary> for the conscious process. It then> begins to have an accelerating <and intensifying effect on the conscious process.] whose speed <-> regulation is so insensitive that it can continue to function to [a] <the> point of self-injury [. however. Since the psyche is a self-regulating system. the counteracting> inﬂuences of the unconscious could set in unhindered. which takes place in spite of it. This [of course does not make for suppression of the counter-action in the unconscious. for a condition then arises in which not only no inhibiting
. and hence its energy. is eliminated by > critical attention and the [purposive will. But anyone with [sufﬁcient] <sufﬁciently> bad experience will eagerly welcome the [mere] <bare> possibility of [controlling the unconscious. altogether.] <. [as much as the living body. in as far as by reason of the prejudice discussed above the regulating inﬂuence seems not to correspond] <directed will. its favourable character for an unfavourable one.

energy is withdrawn from the regulating inﬂuence and thus the regulating process is reversed. by the act of suppression. they may easily assert themselves at the cost of the whole. I shall take as an illustration the classical case of
. then a condition arises which can best be described as a summation of conscious energy (libido) and of the energy of the unconscious counter-action. to his own detriment> [effect in the direction of the conscious process. as well as very necessary for. [which] <and> would never have [prevailed to such a degree. but in which its energy seems to add itself to that of the conscious direction. (This is of course only an attempt to formulate experience connected with this problem). namely a well-placed doubt. the atrophy of the instincts should not necessarily be considered as a degeneration. If it is exceeded. It seems as if there exists an optimum for the regulating inﬂuence of the unconscious which must not be exceeded. only> a relatively lasting product of education. he will insist on it all the more. However that may be. [Indeed. To begin with. when someone makes a rather bold assertion and suppresses the counteraction.< >The ease with which the [unconscious regulating process is eliminated reﬂects an extensive atrophy of the instincts] <counteraction can be eliminated is proportional to the degree of dissociability of the psyche and leads to loss of instinct>. suppression of the unconscious regulating inﬂuence in any case ends more or less in a catastrophe]. It may be that the mere elimination of the regulating inﬂuence sufﬁces as an explanation. In order not to speak of everyday cases met with in practice. if it did not serve important] <struck such deep roots had it not served the> interests of the individual. civilized man ﬁnds himself in a somewhat awkward dilemma between nature and civilization. civilized man. This is characteristic of. For instance. but merely as] <It is not a real atrophy of instinct but. [After all. a good example of> the suppression of the unconscious regulating inﬂuence [discussed here. The result is an over-regulation in favour of the conscious process and unfavourable to the unconscious one.Appendix A
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counteraction takes place. in most cases. since instincts in their original strength can render social adaptation almost impossible. Many good examples can be found for] <Apart from the everyday cases met with in practice. but because they are unchecked. in that. this naturally facilitates the execution of the conscious intentions.

for Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar at the height of his power had a dream which foretold disaster if he did not humble himself.] the feeling of pity. [reﬂects] <expresses> the regulating inﬂuence [of the unconscious].162
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Nietzsche’s in] <can be found in Nietzsche’s > Zarathustra. succumbed to the psychosis which contained just that counter-action from which the king had wished to escape] <unconscious regulating inﬂuence. after suppressing the [regulating inﬂuences of the unconscious. [A very beautiful psychological] <Another> example is the [classical] <classic> case of [delusion of grandeur. First he seeks [the] <his> adversary in Wagner. Paul. I explained to him something of the inﬂuence of the unconscious and warned him against
. but soon> his whole wrath turns against Christianity and in particular against St. But the roaring lion of Zarathustra’s moral conviction forces all these inﬂuences. but without getting a hearing. [became] <was degraded to> an animal. As is well known [the] <. Subsequent events [however] showed <that> his interpretation [to be] <was> correct. the lord of the earth.well as] <and also> of the “ugliest” man. The discovery of the “higher” man. but not the [hidden counter-action] <secret counteraction> of the unconscious. Thus the regulating inﬂuence is suppressed. back again into the cave of the unconscious. who [had] <in some ways> suffered a [similar fate that Nietzsche was soon to suffer] <fate similar to Nietzsche’s>. above all [. while the> “ugliest” man [in particular is the symbol] <is actually personiﬁcation> of the counteraction [of the unconscious]. Nietzsche’s> psychosis ﬁrst [of all] produced [in him] an identiﬁcation with the “Cruciﬁed Christ” and <then> with the dismembered [Dionysos] <Dionysus>. Daniel interpreted the dream quite expertly. for the “higher” men want to drag Zarathustra down [into] <to> the collective sphere of average humanity [. With this catastrophe the [counter-action of the unconscious had reached] <counteraction at last broke through to> the surface. [as . [A distant] <An> acquaintance <of mine> once told me a dream in which he stepped out into space from the [peak] <top> of a mountain. whom he cannot forgive for [Parsival. fell victim to a psychosis that contained the very counteraction he had sought to escape:> he. which from now on becomes clearly noticeable in Nietzsche’s writings.] as it always has been [. The] <. Soon however] <Parsifal.] <megalomania> preserved for us in the [4th Chapter] <fourth chapter> of the Book of Daniel.

[Six] <A few> months later while climbing a mountain he actually did step off into space and was [dead] <killed>. and that he should endeavour to pay attention to the unconscious regulation> which is so necessary for our mental and physical <health. especially if he sees any [chance at all of avoiding such experience] <way by which they might be circumvented>.] <What. It is [sufﬁcient if we] <bad enough to> make [the] detours and painful mistakes in unknown and unexplored territory.> everyone [certainly] shrinks from risking [it] <them>. are the means at our disposal of obtaining knowledge of the regulating factors?> If [therefore] there is no capacity to produce fantasies freely. which he was particularly fond of ] <dangerous mountaineering expeditions. It would therefore appear very important to be aware of the utterances of the unconscious early and interpret them correctly. But> mere <self-observation and intellectual> selfanalysis are entirely inadequate as a means [of getting] <to establishing> contact with the unconscious. [then] we have to resort to artiﬁcial aid. it follows that mere] self-observation and <self-criticism. The [occasion] <reason> for [calling upon]
.Appendix A
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[all too dangerous undertakings. but to get lost in inhabited country on broad highways is merely exasperating. We can avoid [making] <a great> many detours [which] <that> are distinguished [not] by [any] <no> particular attraction but <only> by tiresome conﬂicts. yet] <bad experiences. But he laughed at such ideas. Knowledge of the regulating inﬂuences of the unconscious [is] <offers just> such a possibility [. [One] <He> becomes aware how easy it is to overlook the regulating [inﬂuence and wants therefore to do it better.] <inﬂuences. Accordingly he will try to help himself by practising> [wellbeing. For all the reasons cited. One has learnt the need for paying attention to the unconscious. in order not to overlook the regulating action. which] <and> actually does render much bad experience unnecessary. [One can be spared this by working out the regulating processes of the unconscious. It should therefore be worth the trouble to speak of the ways and means as to how the unconscious material can be obtained. Although [the] <no> human being can [never] be spared [evil experience. Anyone who has seen these things happen [time] <over> and <over> again in [all possible shades] <every conceivable shade> of dramatic intensity is bound to ponder. then. for which he had a regular passion>. in order to prevent catastrophic results.

The outsider is [satisﬁed when his need for causality is appeased] <content if his causal requirements are more or less satisﬁed>. Out of this occupation there emerges] <In order. and this is done as follows: He should occupy himself intensively with the mood in an uncritical frame of mind. Out of this preoccupation with the object there comes> a more or less complete expression of <the> mood. In the intensity of the [affective phenomenon] <emotional disturbance itself> lies the value. the] <can give any number of rationalistic reasons—the> bad weather alone sufﬁces as a [cause] <reason>. yet not in such a manner that it leaves the orbit of its object. becoming absorbed in it. [since] <for> a causal explanation of these [mental conditions] <states> is usually satisfying only to [the] <an> outsider <. The patient would like to know what it is all for and how to gain relief.” as Freud called it.] which [the sufferer] <he> should have at his disposal [to enhance his feeling of vitality. he must make the emotional state the basis or starting point of the procedure. But none of them is <really> satisfying as an explanation. it is sufﬁcient for him to know [from] where the thing comes [. This suggests the following possibility:] <in order to remedy the state of reduced adaptation. He must make himself as conscious as possible of the mood he is in. Naturally the patient [has an abundance of rational causes.164
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<invoking> such aid is generally a depressed <or disturbed> state of mind [. for the patient. Fantasy must be allowed the freest possible play. and then only up to a point>. sinking himself in it without reserve and noting down on paper all the fantasies and other associations that come up. and noting down on paper a description of the mood and all fantasies which emerge. to gain possession of the energy that is in the wrong place.> he does not feel the challenge which. which reproduces the [contents] <content> of the depression [as extensively and faithfully as possible] <in some
. therefore.> [One starts by taking the patients mental condition as the object to be worked out. by setting off a kind of “chainreaction” association process. and one can never be sure that they relate to the affect and are not displacements which have appeared in its stead. In doing so the fantasies must be allowed widest free-play. [lies] <lie> in the depression. namely the affect. for] <from. the energy [. leads away from the object to all sorts of complexes.] for which no [good] <adequate> cause can be [shown] <found>. This “free association. Nothing is achieved by repressing this state or devaluing it rationally.

] <.>
. In this case. thanks to the assistance and cooperation of the conscious mind>. this is understandable for the reasons described. a picture of the contents and> tendencies of the unconscious [as a whole.Appendix A
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way. by working on the mood a material is created. not by clarifying it intellectually but by giving it visible shape. Patients who possess some talent for drawing or painting> can give expression to their mood by means of a picture. too.e. not so much of working out the mood directly. [By working on the mood. as it were. since the previously unrelated affect has become a more or less clear and articulate idea. embodying the common function of the conscious and the unconscious. At all events. which owes its existence in part to the unconscious and in part to conscious effort] <.> [There is still another method. whereby the affect and its contents are brought nearer to consciousness. This is the beginning of the transcendent function [. but represents] <manufactured by the conscious mind but is> an unwelcome intrusion [on the part of the unconscious. Individuals who possess some sort of talent for painting or drawing] <The emotional disturbance can also be dealt with in another way. then the expression of mood so produced is a picture of the ] <from the unconscious. the elaboration of the mood is. either concretely or symbolically>. i. Since the depression was not [made by consciousness. a part-conscious part-unconscious product is created. becoming at the same time more impressive and more understandable. it creates a new situation. but at least of expressing it. The energy value of the unconscious is thus increased. At any rate.] <with the one ﬁrst described. which are contained] <that were massed together> in the depression. but merely for the fantasy to have free [-] play and for the whole thing to be done as well as possible.. enabling it to modify the conscious direction. of the collaboration of conscious and unconscious data. This procedure by itself may have a very] <The whole procedure is a kind of enrichment and clariﬁcation of the affect. libido is transferred to the unconscious standpoint. This work by itself can have a> favourable and vitalizing inﬂuence[. Here too a product is created which is inﬂuenced by both conscious and unconscious. embodying the striving of the unconscious for the light and the striving of the conscious for substance. In principle this procedure agrees [in every respect with the one mentioned ﬁrst. It is not important for the picture to be technically or aesthetically satisfying.

Such persons have little difﬁculty in procuring the unconscious material and thus> laying the foundation of the transcendent function. conditions are particularly favourable for] <refractory it is almost always repressed. In these cases no deﬁnite starting point [is at hand. In such persons.] who immediately comments on everything they say or do. if their inner life is [reasonably] <fairly well> developed. and should be noted down carefully. but just a general. As a rule such a fantasy <-> picture will actually [arise.> indeed <. we often see] <Often. though as> it is notoriously irritating and [obstinate. however. and] <. especially at night. Here <a> special introversion of [the] libido is [required.> not a few <people> who are well aware that they possess a sort of inner critic or judge [. To be sure. but [their hands are able to express] <whose
.] <necessary.> Others [in] <at> such [moments] <times> simply hear their “other” voice. [Again there] <There> are others <. such as complete rest. perhaps [initially ] mere fragments of apparently meaningless sentences [.> which however should [also] be carefully noted down [. again. There are <. it] <exists—it> would ﬁrst have to be created.] <also> is a <bubbling> fountain. [] Visual types should concentrate on the expectation that an inner image will be produced. when the libido [anyhow] has <in any case> a tendency [towards] <to> introversion. Audio-verbal> types usually hear inner words. [(Night it is] <(“‘Tis night:> now <do> all fountains speak louder [. are [also] able to reproduce this [annoying] <inaudible> voice without difﬁculty [. And> my soul [.166
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[However.] <too. a sort of boredom or [something like disgust of a vague nature. since] <. too. [The insane] <Insane people> hear this voice directly as auditory hallucinations. a sort of torture which cannot be deﬁned more closely] <vague disgust. Auditory] <appear—perhaps hypnagogically— and should be carefully observed and noted down in writing. we ﬁnd> cases [in which] <where> there is no [really] tangible mood or depression <at all>.] <to begin with. dull discontent [which is difﬁcult to grasp]. however.” [(Nietzsche).] <)> Critical attention must be [excluded] <eliminated>. an indeﬁnable but excruciating emptiness>.> who neither see nor hear anything inside themselves. supported> perhaps [even supported] by favourable external conditions. a feeling of resistance to everything. But normal people <too>. it is always repressed.

whereby] <until> a kind of condensation of motifs into more or less [stereotype symbols or symbolic expressions takes place. ﬁnally. there appear to be two [possibilities] <main tendencies>. often mainly] <stereotyped symbols takes place.] <. so that they shall not [escape] <be lost to> the memory. The libido therefore ﬂows in the direction of artistic expression.> the principle of understanding predominates [. it is only when the conscious mind confronts the products of the unconscious that a provisional reaction will ensue which determines the subsequent procedure>.] there is <no> a priori [no single] answer <.Appendix A
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hands have the knack of giving expression to> the contents of the unconscious. just giving free rein to their fantasy. This tendency leads to the> aesthetic problem of artistic [expression.] who are able to express the [contents of the] unconscious by means of bodily [movement] <movements> are [fairly] <rather> rare. as to all other problems dealt with here. [What takes place rather] <Instead. Practical experience alone can give [the valid answer] <us a clue>. [] Still rarer.> is automatic writing.> too. [In one class of cases] <Where> the principle of creative formulation predominates [:] <. the> aesthetic aspect [of the material obtained] is [here] of relatively little interest and may <occasionally> even [occasionally] be felt as a hindrance. the other the way of understanding. direct or with the planchette.] <formulation. The [difﬁculty] <disadvantage> that movements cannot [be easily remembered] <easily be ﬁxed in the mind> must be met by [concentrating on] <making careful drawings of> the movements afterwards [and practising them]. Those> [should work with clay. To this question [. These stimulate the creative fantasy and serve chieﬂy> as aesthetic motifs [. These symbols gain in importance through associations and become elaborated at the same time. So far as my experience goes. One is the way of creative formulation. They are very effective. without anything deﬁnite in mind.] <:> what is to be done with the material obtained in one of the manners described. but equally valuable <. This [procedure. The] <.> the material [obtained ]is continually <varied and> increased [. We now come to the next question [. Those. e. i.
.> [In another class of cases] <Where on the other hand. yields [very] useful results. they become an] <. Such people <can proﬁtably work with plastic materials.

] and may lead one astray. whereby the libido is led away] <overvaluation of the formal or “artistic”worth of the fantasy-productions. [since the expressions produced are as a rule greatly over-valued. whereby the motifs] <struggle to understand the meaning> of the unconscious [material are more or less intensively abstracted into ideas] <product. but they result from the personality] <. The danger of the aesthetic tendency is [over-valuation of the artistic worth of the expressions produced. which is subjected to intellectual analysis and interpretation. Both have their typical dangers [. the products of the unconscious are greatly overvalued precisely because they were boundlessly undervalued before>. The danger of wanting to understand [is over-valuation of the ideational. Neither of these [possibilities is realized] <tendencies can be brought about> by an arbitrary effort of will [. This undervaluation is [typical and] one of the greatest [hindrances in giving expression to] <obstacles in formulating the> unconscious material. without considering those elements which would come to light in a more careful formulation>.168
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there> is an intensive [. the libido is diverted> from the real goal of the transcendent function and [directed along the false track of ] <sidetracked into> purely aesthetic [.> whichever [predominates] <predominate> in the individual case. so that the essentially symbolic character of the product is lost>. Up to a point these [false tracks must however be taken] <bypaths must be followed> in order to satisfy [the] aesthetic or intellectual [demand. Whereas aesthetic formulation tends to concentrate on the formal aspect of the motif. an intuitive understanding often tries to catch the meaning from barely adequate hints in the material. whereby the libido is enticed away onto the intellectual problem] <the meaning is overvaluation of the content. because previously they have been grossly undervalued] <for. which] <that> does not ﬁt into the collective schema [of good or beautiful. But the danger of both [false paths] <these bypaths> is worth stressing. e. after a certain point of psychic development has been reached. philosophical worth of the elaborated ideas. intellectual analysis. [This] <It> reveals the collective standards by which [something] <anything> individual is [measured: Nothing] <judged: nothing> is considered good or beautiful [. i. they are far more the result of the peculiar> make-up of the individual <personality>. artistic] problems of <artistic> expression.
.] <requirements.

and> understanding needs [that of ] aesthetic [expression. namely] <:> a naive and uncritical [over-valuation. This deeply rooted] <. One tendency seems to be the regulating principle of the other. What is lacking is not the collective recognition of the individual product but its subjective appreciation.] <relationship. or else. it tends to turn into its opposite. [in order] <so as> not to exert undue inﬂuence [on the unconscious contents. But what is usually missing is the just appreciation of the subjective value of a product over and beyond all collective standards. since he is only able to measure] <unconsciousness and lack of self-reliance: either he is able to judge only> by collective standards [and cannot evaluate himself or his individual products correctly] <. Therefore it looks as if the unconscious were taking
. the understanding of its meaning and value for the subject. an initial overvaluation can easily turn into depreciatory scepticism. it] <content. Conversely. This> feeling of inferiority for one’s own product is of course not [found] <the rule> everywhere. [As] <So> far as it is possible at this stage to draw <more> general conclusions. Sometimes <we ﬁnd> the <exact> opposite [of this is seen. an initial over-valuation is likely to change into a depreciatory scepsis. we could say that [the tendency towards aesthetic expression seems to need the tendency towards understanding. These erroneous judgements] <has been overcome. both are [related] <bound together> in a compensatory [manner. he loses his capacity for judgment altogether>. owing to ego-inﬂation. Both] <formulation. It> must not do more than [that] <this> at ﬁrst. But when the initial obstacle of the] <overvaluation coupled with the demand for collective recognition once the initial> feeling of inferiority [is overcome. and equally the tendency towards] <aesthetic formulation needs understanding of the meaning.Appendix A
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Our whole over-valuation of technical perfection shows itself here.> Experience [conﬁrms] <bears out> this formula. The ﬁrst steps along both [ways] <paths> follow the same principle: consciousness [lends] <puts> its [means] <media> of expression [to] <at the disposal of> the unconscious [contents. The two> supplement each other to form the transcendent function. namely into just as extreme an over-valuation of the product. These erroneous judgments> are due to the individual’s [extreme lack of independence. though it is true that contemporary art is beginning to make compensatory efforts in this respect. Vice versa.

and society is therefore interested in the continuance of his individual existence] <. irrational contents. of course. This is. Only a small part of them has any unusual value. A small part appears to be of unusually great value. sheer dross adhering to the molten gold. but to some extent quite rightly. is divided in its acceptance of new and unknown ideas which obtrude their emotionality. But those contents which. In giving the content form. if they are strongly loaded with libido. all the] <usually present themselves: as> things which [either] are too weak [from the start] <by nature> to cross the threshold [of consciousness or which have been repressed from consciousness because they ran counter to the conscious direction.170
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the lead as regards form and content. too. This means a weakening of ] <. either from the collective or from the subjective standpoint. or as incompatible elements that were repressed for a variety of reasons. It is not difﬁcult to understand this when we remember <how> the [kind of contents in] <contents of >the unconscious [. appear worthless can be of greatest value] <. unexpected. the lead must be left as far as possible to the chance ideas and associations thrown up by the unconscious. The purpose of the initial procedure is to discover the feeling-toned contents. partly unjustly. primarily to the advantage of the individual and only beneﬁts society in so far as the particular individual concerned is a useful member of society. Society. for in these cases we are always dealing with situations where the one-sidedness of consciousness meets with the resistance of the instinctual sphere>. To gain possession of the unconscious libido is one of our chief aims. no matter whether the subject feels it as negative or positive. The contents coming up from the unconscious are either unwelcome or unexpected irrational things which had been banished from consciousness. and another small part appears to be of absolutely no value at all. considered from the collective standpoint. This fact expresses itself in their affective tone. if considered from the point of view of collective values. disregard or repression of which seems altogether understandable. But contents that are collectively valueless may be exceedingly valuable when seen> from the standpoint of the individual [. This is naturally something of a setback for> the conscious standpoint [. which the individual] <and is> often [experiences] <felt> as painful. Mostly they are unwelcome.
.

This can be done by drawing. By shaping it.Appendix A
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The two ways do not divide until the aesthetic problem becomes decisive for <the> one type of person and the intellectual <-moral> problem [decisive] for the other. that is understanding and expression alternating. It was for this reason that Freud got the dreamcontents. The desire to understand. that is. It does not sufﬁce in all cases to elucidate only the conceptual context of a dream-content. again others can only be experienced by means of aesthetic expression] <want ﬁrst of all to be seen clearly. such one-sidedness in the long run had no stability. painting. the same applies to exclusively aesthetic expression.] <with which the intellect has wrestled in vain. though it sometimes does happen in practice: the creative urge seizes possession of the object at the cost of its meaning. Experience has taught me that it is simply impossible by means of the intellect alone to bring about anything like an adequate understanding of the unconscious contents. which the mind tries to do in vain. In my experience at least. and the initially incomprehensible. starts with the chance idea or association and therefore lacks an
. It hardly seems possible for the one to exist without the other. one goes on dreaming the dream in greater detail in the waking state. The ideal case would [then] be if these two [possibilities] <aspects> could exist side by side or [succeed each other. as it were. Often the hands know how to solve a riddle [. This sometimes leads patients to fancy themselves artists—misunderstood ones. to express themselves in the form of “free associations” before he began interpreting them. if it dispenses with careful formulation. or modelling>. and to be judged only when everything they have to say is tangibly present. or the urge to understand overrides the necessity of giving it form. isolated event is integrated into the sphere of the total personality. naturally. even though it remains at ﬁrst unconscious to the subject. which can only be done by giving them shape. if there were an alternation of creation and understanding. Often it is necessary to clarify a vague content by giving it a visible form. Aesthetic formulation leaves it at that and gives up any idea of discovering a meaning. The> unconscious contents [which cannot be made conscious in any way at all except by intellectual understanding. The one can hardly exist without the other. There are] <rhythmically succeed each other.

The kind of understanding with which we are concerned at this stage consists in a reconstruction of the meaning that seems to be immanent in the original “chance” idea. This naturally happens only when the conscious mind ﬁnds itself in a critical situation. It has better prospects of success if it begins only with the formulated product. in order to give it as adequate an opportunity as possible to unfold and take on shape. the lead can be left to the unconscious only if it already contains the will to lead. At this stage> it is no longer the unconscious [which has the prerogative of leadership] <that takes the lead>. but the ego. When this undertaking succeeds. the bringing together of opposites for the production of a third: the transcendent function. [Here I must ﬁrst say that when speaking of the ego in this connection I do not mean the persona but the individual ego.
. This brings us to the problem of how the unconscious and the ego] <It is evident that such a procedure can legitimately take place only when there is a sufﬁcient motive for it. arising out of the analysis of the persona in the collective psyche. as a result of its identity with the individuals own body. in fact it consists just in that very uniqueness of the combination. [In the practical handling of this question] <This is the second and more important stage of the procedure. has a unique and singular combination of qualities.172
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adequate basis. and how the ego and the unconscious> are to come to terms. then the second great problem arises: how this position of the unconscious is related to the ego. In procuring the unconscious material we had to leave the lead entirely with the unconscious. The ego.> [I am far from thinking that this account of how to obtain unconscious material is in any way conclusive. I am quite satisﬁed if I have succeeded to some extent in shedding some light on these extremely complicated matters. the greater is the danger that understanding will be governed not by the empirical facts but by theoretical and moral considerations. while the elements making up the combination are qualities of a collective character. Equally. that smallest point in the indeﬁnitely extensive. Once the unconscious content has been given form and the meaning of the formulation is understood. The less the initial material is shaped and developed. collective psyche. the question arises as to how the ego will relate to this position.

This danger would not exist. so to speak. The danger is that the ego will disintegrate by being completely at sea in all the possibilities and chimaera of the unconscious.Appendix A
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This individually determined ego acts as a sort of counterpole to the collective psyche. or at least not much] <effect on the ego. It is confronted with a psychic product that owes its existence mainly to an unconscious process and is therefore in some degree opposed to the ego and its tendencies>. but shall leave it in its banal reality as that continuous centre of consciousness whose presence has made itself felt since the days of childhood. which is contrary to that of the ego. This standpoint is essential [for any confrontation] <in coming to terms> with the unconscious. The position of the ego must be maintained as being of equal [importance as] <value to> the counter-position of the unconscious [. or would not be so acute>. and vice versa. This amounts to> a very necessary warning [. There is a danger of the ego losing its head. that it will not be able to defend itself against the pressure of affective factors— a situation often encountered at the beginning of schizophrenia. while the collective psyche levels out and breaks up the whole into its parts] <We shall not deﬁne the individual ego here. This is no mere empty phrase but] <. Collective psyche and ego also have a compensatory relationship towards each other and in each case the one is the regulating principle of the other. The ego differentiates and builds up into a whole. if the process of having it out with
. There would be no danger of this. For just as civilized man’s psychology of consciousness has an enormously limiting] <: for just as the conscious mind of civilized man has a restrictive> effect on the unconscious. In the same way that the ego suppressed the unconscious before. The ego-synthesis can often be maintained only with the greatest effort in face of the action of the unconscious which is continually dissolving things into their elements. a liberated unconscious can thrust the ego aside and overwhelm it. Therefore the conscious ego representing the highest expression of the function of differentiation is of the same value as the collective psyche. The unconscious at this stage of psychological development is pure collective psyche and therefore has the tendency towards disintegration. <so> the [re-discovered] <rediscovered> unconscious <often> has a really dangerous [and disintegrating effect on the conscious ego.

but a new adjustment to the conditions of life. Taking it seriously
. Coming to terms with the [unconscious viewpoint is accordingly an earnest matter.] <counter-position is a serious matter> on which sometimes a <very> great deal depends. and this applies to both parties.174
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the unconscious [were psychologically somehow limited. g. and] must be [. running an isolated course. The personality as a whole must be taken seriously into account. for only in that way can the regulating factors exert an inﬂuence on our actions. working in every direction and penetrating every sphere of life>. By taking it seriously I acknowledge my readiness to accept the regulating effect of the unconscious and permit it to inﬂuence my actions. but it does mean giving credit to the unconscious. but they should be used only when there is a vital threat. penetrating every sphere of life. a psychological bottle of medicine. [It] <Taking the other side seriously> is an essential prerequisite of the [transcendent function to take the unconscious seriously. How far the latter may hide behind the shield of theory remains a delicate question. too. or spa treatment. The affect must therefore be deployed in its full strength. the patient as well as the analyst. for> the transcendent function is [no psychological partial process.] a many-sided [process. For] <one. thus allowing the unconscious a possibility of developing. but a renewal of the personality. but is rather a new regulation of the stream of life itself. to be left to his discretion. were merely intellectual] <could somehow divest the affects of their dynamism. rightly understood. It must be valid for every sphere of life and its results must be binding in action] <not a partial process running a conditioned course. Analytical treatment. the treatment of neurosis is not a kind of psychological water-cure.] <process. e. And this is what does in fact happen when the counter-position is aestheticized or intellectualized>. we know that emotional factors must be given full consideration in the treatment of the neuroses. and accordingly is thoroughly all-round. included. is never an isolated process. The transcendent function must be of the same nature. At all events. and not for the purpose of avoiding a necessary task. But the confrontation with the unconscious [is. it is a total and integral event in which all aspects are. or should be. Taking the unconscious seriously does not mean taking it literally. Thanks to the fundamental insight of Freud. Aestheticization and intellectualization are excellent weapons against dangerous affects.

but [with due appreciation of the standpoint of ] the unconscious <must be allowed to have its say too—audiatur et altera pars>.Appendix A
175
does not mean taking it literally. It is exactly as if a dialogue were taking place between two human beings with equal rights. to the degree that he does not admit the validity of the other person. Such a rapprochement could just as well take place between patient and analyst. but the unconscious [must be afforded] <is granted> the same [right] <authority>.> [In having it out] <Thus. although this> capacity [however is an essential. [It is therefore of great educational interest for everyone to develop this faculty in himself as far as possible. And this is best done by having it out with the unconscious. The way this can be done is best shown by those cases in which the “other” voice is more or less distinctly heard. so that it has a chance to cooperate with consciousness instead of automatically disturbing it. For such people it is technically very simple to note down the “other” voice in writing and to answer its statements from the standpoint of the ego. For.> [The confrontation with the unconscious appears simple in the situation discussed. The ego takes the lead. which contains the other standpoint with all possible distinctness. The present day shows with appalling clarity how little able people are to let the other man’s argument count [. This] <.] <Everyone who proposes to come to terms with himself must reckon with this basic problem. the role of devil’s advocate easily falling to the latter>. since consciousness is largely one-sided. basic] <is a fundamental and indispensable> condition [of ] <for> any human community. The capacity for inner dialogue is a touchstone for outer objectivity. but it is ] <Simple as the process of coming to terms may be in the
. and in this way to strike a balance or at least make a compromise] <comparison and discussion or else to distinguish them clearly from one another. not only [must] <is> the standpoint of the ego [be maintained] <justiﬁed>. in most cases a long conﬂict will have to be borne. he denies the “other” within himself the right to exist—and vice versa. each of whom gives the other credit for a valid argument and considers it worth while to modify the conﬂicting standpoints by means of thorough [discussion. but it does mean giving the unconscious credit. in coming to terms> with the unconscious. Since the way to agreement seldom stands open. demanding sacriﬁces from both sides.

instinctive way. but which seems like deafand-dumb language to one who does not. One can however go forwards and through psychological development again reach nature.176
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
case of the inner dialogue. which we have called the transcendent function. the more valuable it will be. a way of life.] <Very often a total reaction does not have at its disposal those theoretical assumptions. just as the products of the unconscious can modify the psychology of the ego. It is an individual-collective phenomenon which in principle agrees with the direction of life which anyone would follow. Faced with such products. third thing—not a logical stillbirth in accordance with the principle tertium non datur but a movement out of the suspension be-
. speaking a language which is eloquent enough for one who understands it. It is perhaps] <where only visual products are available. In such cases one must be content with the wordless but suggestive feelings which appear in their stead and are more valuable than clever talk.> [The transcendent function lies between the conscious and the unconscious standpoint and is a living phenomenon. The more direct and natural the answer is. The confrontation of the two positions generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living. where only products are available which. but this time consciously taking account of instinct] <The shuttling to and fro of arguments and affects represents the transcendent function of opposites. are unsuitable for dialogue. though eloquent. the ego must seize the initiative and ask: “How am I affected by this sign?” This Faustian question can call forth an illuminating answer. it is undoubtedly> more complicated in other cases [. which partly conforms with the unconscious as well as the conscious and partly does not. if he were to live in a completely unconscious. This explains why primitive man so often appears as the symbol for the transcendent function. The modiﬁcation process itself however remains pretty well in the dark. It is however possible that the reaction on the part of the ego occasioned by these products leads in turn to a modiﬁcation of later products. should be achieved. Back to nature in Rousseau’s sense is impossible and would only be a futile regression. and concepts which would make clear apprehension possible. for directness and naturalness guarantee a more or less total reaction. It is> not absolutely necessary for the process of confrontation itself to become conscious in every detail. views. [The main thing is that the union of conscious and unconscious.

on the other. If people take it personally [. since either people] <argument. confronted with the image of instinctive wholeness and freedom. or a sort of ] <or are bedevilled by> philosophical [-] <or> intellectual [prejudice interferes] <prejudices>. A number of preparatory studies are still [necessary] <needed> before the [conceptional] <conceptual> foundation is laid [. a living birth that leads to a new level of being. I have unfortunately had the experience that the scientiﬁc public [is] <are> not everywhere in a position to follow <a> purely psychological [considerations and descriptions. at bottom it is always a matter of a consciousness lost and obstinately stuck in one-sidedness. Philosophical prejudice
. The transcendent function manifests itself as a quality of conjoined opposites. But] <. and they declare everything to be impossible which [perhaps does] <seems> not <to> apply in their case [. who. on the one hand.Appendix A
177
tween opposites. Another [equally important task would be to describe the contents of the transcendent function] <task of greater importance would be the description of its contents>. This presents a picture of the anthropoid and archaic man with. I must content myself here with a description of the [external] <outward> forms and possibilities of the transcendent function. emerges from the darkness and shows us how and where we have deviated from the basic pattern and crippled ourselves psychically>. In whatever form the opposites appear in the individual.] their [judgement] <judgment> is always subjective. but not> all the difﬁculties [involved in a description of them have not] <in the way of exposition have> yet been overcome.] or which they prefer not to acknowledge. upon which a comprehensive and unmistakable presentation] <which would enable us to give a clear and intelligible account> of the contents of the transcendent function [is possible]. compensating and correcting our onesidedness. They are quite incapable of realizing that <what is valid for them may not be valid at all> for another person with a different psychology [things are just different. This renders any meaningful appreciation of the psychological [relationships] <factors> quite impossible. his supposedly uninhibited world of instinct and. a new situation. So long as these are kept apart—naturally for the purpose of avoiding conﬂict—they do not function and remain inert. There is already a mass of material on this subject [. since they either> take it too personally [. his often misunderstood world of spiritual ideas.

and completely overlooks the fact that for the other person subjectively this condition actually exists. At the most the question might be raised. One might just as well ask if the duck-billed platypus is a “true” or “correct” invention of the Creator’s will. even though their statements do not coincide with our incommensurable idea of “truth.” As the process of coming to terms with the counter-position has a total character. As long as science identiﬁes itself with the causal principle.
. Since they are not “true. which is orientated towards the goal. But mythologems exist. That is naturally not always the case. even if only fragments become conscious. whether the condition is causal or creatively purposeful. The other half however. they have no place in a scientiﬁc explanation. then the factor is valid in itself and proves its validity by its very existence.” it is argued. But where the necessary premises exist. and of breaking a dependence which is often felt as humiliating. nothing is excluded. or too cowardly. to make an effort. Equally childish is the prejudice against the role which mythological assumptions play in the life of the psyche. there may yet be a lack of courage and selfconﬁdence. the transcendent function not only forms a valuable addition to psychotherapeutic treatment. One of the greatest obstacles to psychological understanding is the inquisitive desire to know> whether the psychological [relationship postulated is objectively real. It is a way of attaining liberation by one’s own efforts and of ﬁnding the courage to be oneself>.” If the description of it is not erroneous or false. otherwise he could not have produced it at all. or—to be more accurate—could be widened if it took the trouble to integrate them. Consciousness is continually widened through the confrontation with previously unconscious contents. remains veiled by scientiﬁc prejudice] <factor adduced is “true” or “correct. only half of psychology will come within the realm of science. We are still very far from possessing a general valid scheme of explanation in all cases.178
The Transcendent Function
always wants to ﬁnd out] <. Even if there is sufﬁcient intelligence to understand the procedure. but gives the patient the inestimable advantage of assisting the analyst on his own resources. Everything takes part in the discussion. mentally and morally. or one is too lazy.

AND SEMINARS
.APPENDIX B
REFERENCES TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION IN JUNG’S WORKS. LETTERS.

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pp. 6) Pages Pages Pages Pages 105–115 125–126 251–252 478–481 Page Page Page Page 115 126 252 480 EXCERPT/PAGES REFERENCE(S)
“Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (CW. pp. pp. pp. 491 Pages 500.REFERENCES TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION IN JUNG’S WORKS. 508 Page 289(2)
Pages 80–81 Pages 97–99 Pages 109–116 181
Page 80(3) Page 99 Pages 109. LETTERS. the second column sets forth the pages of the work that the author believes will give the reader the relevant passages that lead up to and follow the specific reference to the transcendent function. 3–119)
Pages 133–135 Pages 219–220 Pages 488–492 Pages 500–501 Pages 506–508 Pages 286–289
Page 134 Pages 219(2). 9I. Vol. 223. 222. 116
. 7. 7. 123–241) “Psychological Commentary on ‘The Tibetan Book of Great Liberation’ ” (CW. the third column shows actual pages where the transcendent function is mentioned with multiple references on a given page indicated in parentheses. WORK/CITATION WRITTEN WORKS Psychological Types (CW. Vol. 220(2). and Individuation” (CW. Vol. 224 Page 489(3). Vol. 11. AND SEMINARS
Listed below are the references to the transcendent function in Jung’s written works. 501 Pages 506. 110. Unconscious. 275–289) “On the psychology of the Unconscious” (CW. Vol. and his published seminars. The first column gives the name and citation of the work (see the reference list for the full citation). 475–508) “Conscious. his published letters.

(5) the role of the analyst in working with the transcendent function. Though categorization is helpful for systematic discourse. While reviewing the sources. Though a detailed discussion of the paper is the subject of chapter 2. This section does not attempt to include every possible source. (4) the origins of the transcendent function. it must overtake neither the material’s substance nor the way we engage it. We honor the work by engaging it in a manner that will lead us to a new perspective and a fresh theoretical landscape upon which we can subsequently tread for further development. (3) others’ comments on the transcendent function within Jung’s metapsychology. The literature surveyed represents prodigious scholarship and profound thought. This is not to imply that any of the writers reviewed are deﬁcient in their analysis.REVIEW OF LITERATURE RELATING TO “THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION”
INTRODUCTION This section reviews topics. political. and literature that is not emphasized in the body of the book so that the reader may have access to as much information on the transcendent function as possible. 185
. further references are contained elsewhere in the book. (2) basic reference materials relating to Jungian psychology and Jungian analysis. and societal contexts. The literature will be reviewed in several sections. Quite the contrary. (7) the transcendent function as it is reﬂected in cultural. the aim is not to achieve any ﬁnal. (6) the manifestation of the transcendent function in depth clinical applications. objective interpretation of the literature but rather to set the stage for breaking new theoretical ground. and (8) the relationship of the transcendent function to religious and spiritual matters. The material will be covered in the following subsections: (1) Jung and Jung’s writings. JUNG AND JUNG’S WRITINGS The heart of this book is Jung’s paper “The Transcendent Function” (1957/ 1960). references.

(2) the deﬁniteness and directedness of the conscious ego (pp. All of these references. 69–73). 1988b. p. Samuels. Jung refers to or discusses the transcendent function in eight of his other works. coincidentally. 26. p. These references are discussed in chapter 3. saying that he “con-
. Shorter. In “Conscious. Finally. (8) the confrontation by the conscious ego of the unconscious material (pp. 78–81). 84–88). and Jung’s description of how the transcendent function worked to help him integrate his own inferior function (1989b. (5) the role of transference and the analyst in mediating the transcendent function (p. Jung offers his view of how archetypal contents from the objective psyche guide the transcendent function in assimilating the unconscious to effect a change of personality. its appearance in Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (1988a. a representative sampling is instructive both for context and for further reference by the reader. (7) the self-regulating inﬂuence and affect on the psyche of the unconscious (pp. and Plaut (1986) place the transcendent function at the heart of Jung’s psychology. p. Jung makes the transcendent function fundamental to the teleological individuation process. (4) the synthetic or constructive method (pp. In “Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious” (1928/1953).186
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
a brief list of the subjects Jung discusses include: (1) the deﬁnition of the transcendent function and the reason for its name (pp. Jung mentions or refers to the transcendent function in ﬁve public seminars. 76–78.
BASIC REFERENCE MATERIALS The transcendent function is. 34). and (9) the dialogue between the conscious and unconscious yielding the transcendent function (pp. 89–91). In Psychological Types (1921/1971). Further. for example. 74). 69. 11). (3) the way consciousness and the unconscious disagree with one another. thereby forming opposites (pp. deal with subjects relating to religion. 648). raise the issue of the connection between the transcendent function and spiritual matters. discussed in chapter 3. also referred to and discussed in a variety of basic reference materials about Jungian psychology and psychotherapy. Unconscious. 69. the natural occurrence of the transcendent function in a patient’s analysis (1989a. 976. Though an exhaustive list of such reference materials would be impractical. 73). 82–83). pp. 1231). of course. Referring to how psyche consists of both conscious and unconscious. These and other references. 73– 75). Jung gives interesting insights into his ideas about the transcendent function in four letters. he connects the operation of the transcendent function to symbol and fantasy and shows how they are fundamental to it. 287). he describes “two incongruous halves which together should form a whole” (p. 73–75). (6) the sources of unconscious material (pp. p. and Individuation” (1939/1959). These references cover a wide range of topics: the appearance of the transcendent function in dreams (1984.

attached to the ego. individuation of all aspects of the personality. at the apex of the triangle. Samuels (1985) emphasizes that the goal is a new attitude. that. It is as though ego and unconscious were points at either end of the baseline of a triangle. 274) Finally. aided by the emergence of a symbol. 59)
. 126). 150). thus. and yet possesses access to each” (p. unites them. purposeful way to guide a person to become fully individuated. and in doing so. 84) J. 150) and deﬁning it as follows: “The function which mediates opposites. 274) belonging “neither to the ego sphere nor to the unconscious. Psyche uses it in a teleological. She describes the transcendent function as if it were suspended above and between the conscious and unconscious: It stands above them. Humbert (1988) states that the transcendent function “plays the role of an autonomous regulator” (p. The second stage is controlled by what Jung calls the transcendent function. ego-consciousness itself is strengthened. (p. participating in both. ends up attached to the ego: The strength of the person’s ego will help the mediatory product or middle position triumph over the two extremes. A new attitude is available for conscious living and. This function is endowed with the capability of uniting all of the opposing trends in the personality and of working toward the goal of wholeness. As stated by Hall and Nordby (1973): The ﬁrst step toward integration is. (p. though born of a union of conscious and unconscious. The transcendent function is. as we have just seen. (p. at the same time. Singer (1972) calls the transcendent function a “third element” (p. it facilitates a transition from one psychological attitude or condition to another” (p. Expressing itself by way of the symbol.Appendix c
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sidered the transcendent function to be the most signiﬁcant factor in psychological process” (p. 274). yields a transformation of psyche. a natural process through which the opposites of the conscious and unconscious are brought into conversation and. The transcendent function’s emergence grants autonomy to the ego and also to the unconscious by relating to both of them independently. Jung called this process the “transcendent function” to emphasize how opposites that could dialogue with each other and engage in mutual inﬂuence might actually do so by transcending their old positions in consciousness and unconsciousness and ﬁnding a new position. transcends both the point of the ego and the point of the unconscious but is related to each of them. The third element. But the very existence of the mediatory product actually strengthens the ego.

p. In spite of this—or perhaps because of this—his accumulated deﬁnitions denote an intuitive concept embracing and containing process and effect. Function. responding to Dehing. now another. . the transcendent function is no exception. a dependence between elements of different sets. . (p. an expression of a relationship. p. 31) Sandner states what is intuitively evident: the transcendent function either is or implicates all of these things. 69. Van Eenwyk (1992) makes an interesting connection between
. as is explored in the body of the work. 1943/1953. . Theory of Opposites Since Jung’s own deﬁnition and statement of the transcendent function speaks of the union or product of the opposites (1957/1960. by analogy with the mathematical term. 15) In fact. he analyzes Jung’s seemingly inconsistent descriptions of the transcendent function: Jung sometimes deﬁned the transcendent function as a function: a speciﬁc action or. 80). Jung was never much concerned about strict deﬁnition. But more often than not he referred to it as a method.
ELEMENTS OF JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY The literature devoted to the transcendent function within the paradigm of Jungian psychology yields an interesting array of connections to other important Jungian themes. a process or the effect brought about by these dynamics. Method. noted that: It is characteristic of Jung to deﬁne his important terms ambiguously. Sandner (1992).188
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
These excerpts give the reader a sense of the materials available in basic reference materials relating to Jung and the transcendent function. function and method. (p. the transcendent function is all of these and it is because of its breadth that it is so important. showing now one facet of the concept. In exploring its many facets. Process or Final Result? Dehing (1992) makes an important and comprehensive contribution in struggling to ascertain the true nature of the transcendent function. it should come as no surprise that a number of writers focus on the theme of the opposites.

Corbett (1996). While all symbols transcend categories. challenging the perceptions and assumptions of those who encounter them. Willeford (1992) posits that the opposites generate a symbol derived equally from the most highly differentiated and most primitive levels of psyche (p. At least two writers analyze how and why opposites function in human consciousness. states it somewhat differently: “Since consciousness requires discrimination. is the issue of whether Jung’s theory of opposites is accurate or whether it reﬂects a feature of Jung’s personal psychology. [T]he very development of ego consciousness necessarily leads us to divide our subjective experience into poles: for example.g. love and hate. Jung called the process by which such symbols are generated the “transcendent function. a certain type of symbol integrates them into new amalgamations that. 1992.” (p. 1992. become more than the sum of their parts. life and death” (p. symbols and metaphors exert a compelling effect. p. . but themselves as well. Symbol Since Jung gave central importance to the symbol in bringing unconscious material to consciousness. This theme is explored in detail in chapter 3. 273)
. . Samuels. He posits that when the tension of psychological opposites is held.Appendix c
189
the mechanisms of the transcendent function and chaos theory. Van Eenwyk (1992) explains further: Symbolic images transcend not only categories. 28. that though there is a drive to unify and integrate. Dehing (1992) states: “Any human being probably presents some degree of splitting. seemingly chaotic symbols begin to form recognizable patterns through the transcendent function in ways that are analogous to the inherent ordering processes of nature. 228). Corbett (1992) offers a view. it does not ﬂow from opposites but from a drive to recover psychological parts that are missing. 261). good and bad. 27). 138). Other writers begin to explore the idea of opposites not only as between the conscious and unconscious. Corbett (1992) states: “Movement from unconscious into consciousness occurs in dreams or fantasies via the symbol” (p. held by others (e. 1992. . . tension between its constituents is inevitable” (p. p. Ulanov. each amalgamation incorporates greater realms of meaning than can any single conglomeration of the original images. 1985). Jung’s formulation of the classical transcendent function. and key to a debate within the Jungian community. . p. In his intriguing analysis of the workings of the transcendent function in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Finally. 128. there are several sources that discuss the importance of the symbol in the transcendent function. By expanding awareness beyond the immediately apparent. in a synergetic manner. 395). That is. Solomon.. . but also the formulation of and tension between opposite positions that are both manifest in the conscious (Dehing.

. containing both conscious and unconscious material. 261).190
The Transcendent Function
Jung felt that symbols play a central role in bringing together conscious and unconscious material since the symbol itself is partly conscious and partly unconscious.). It is. 83) Thus. . Willeford (1992). As he stated in one of his early writings (1921/1971): The symbol is always a product of an extremely complex nature. He assigned to it “a rather extraordinary task: the psyche consists of two incongruous halves which together should form a whole” (1939/1959.v. neither rational nor irrational (qq. . for it is composed not only of rational but also of irrational data supplied by pure inner and outer perception. Furthermore.
. Jung called the unknown activity of the unconscious which produces real. But precisely because the new symbol is born of man’s highest spiritual aspirations and must at the same time spring from the deepest roots of his being. therefore. life-giving symbols the transcendent function because this process facilitates a transition from one attitude to another. It certainly has a side that accords with reason. but it has another side that does not. symbol is integral to the operation of the transcendent function. have incredible energy for transformation. Jung saw psychological health as requiring individuation and individuation as being impossible without the transcendent function. the transcendent function “describes the capacity of the psyche to change and grow toward individuation when consciousness and the unconscious join. as well as all other possible psychic opposites. p. refers to the symbol as mediating the conﬂict between such extreme levels of consciousness (p. . (p. since data from every psychic function have gone into its making. As stated powerfully by von Franz: Differentiated and primitive. conscious and unconscious are united in the symbol [footnote omitted]. 287). . for example. standing in the differentiated present and the primitive past. As stated somewhat differently by Corbett (1992). Individuation Jung postulated that the transcendent function is central to the individuation process. revealing the essential person” (p. the symbol has been considered key to bringing into consciousness matters we would otherwise avoid. p. . symbols. it cannot be a one-sided product of the most highly differentiated mental functions but must derive equally from the lowest and most primitive levels of the psyche. 478) Since symbols derive equally from humanity’s highest and most primitive levels. (1980.

Nagy (1992) calls the transcendent function a “technique for developing a Self ” (p. 387) A similar connection is made by Kiepenheuer (1992). It rests upon an archetypal foundation. Using a developmental Jungian approach giving equal emphasis to reductive and synthetic views. Agnel (1992) described the transcendent function as the “initial experience of the Self ” (p. He posits that the transcendent function manifests through synchronicities that unite unconnected internal elements of the psyche and external elements of matter in seemingly coincidental but purposeful ways. (p. is critical to the individuation process. 1972). who argues that psychosomatic symptoms are psychic matters made physical and. 281–82). Corbett (1992) asserts that the transcendent function represents the unfolding of the demands of the Self into selfobject needs in analysis (p. one can see that the egoSelf conversation involves. Jung attributed a central role to the transcendent function. 3). p. Communication between the ego and the Self. the transcendent function. 414). The Self The Self is the central. He asserts that those synchronicities represent the union of spirit and matter and are integral to the individuation path: This union [of spirit and matter] is one of Jung’s principal examples of an activation of the transcendent function. deﬁned as the acausal meaningful coincidence of two events. In fact. Schellenbaum (1992) labels it the “spontaneous activity from the Self ” (p. The ego can be seen as the center of consciousness while the Self is the center of all of psyche. Moore (1992) argues that the “octahedral structure of the archetypal self ” causes the transcendent function to manifest in order to activate and effectuate the “blueprint for individual development” (pp. therefore. and individuation. synchronicity. Handel (1992) makes a connection between the transcendent function. 59). The most startling expression of the transcendent function is a synchronicity. Thus. Samuels (1985) sees the transcendent function as a “facilitation of the processes of the self ” (p. at least in part. termed the “ego-self axis” (Edinger. guiding archetypal structure in Jung’s psychology. both conscious and unconscious (Edinger. 240–41). R. 1972. a conversation between consciousness and the unconscious.
. 400).Appendix c
191
395). It follows that the phenomena of synchronicity are of special signiﬁcance for the individuation process. stand as examples of synchronicity offering the affected person a route to wholeness (pp. 293). one of which is experienced internally to the psyche and the other externally. 107). L.

192
The Transcendent Function
Using Fordham’s theory of development based upon the idea of an infant born with a “primary self ” that contains all of that infant’s possibilities (discussed further in chapter 5). hypnosis. pp.g. meditation. Williams (1983) makes a similar connection. some (e. p. 3). his need for the idea of and reference to the transcendent function were both diminished ( Jung. and integrating it (see. p. Urban (1992) identiﬁes the transcendent function as “an essential aspect of Michael Fordham’s postulate of a primary self.. Jung (1957/1960) says that it “is called ‘transcendent’ because it makes the transition from one attitude to another organically possible” (p.g. in fact. Finally. Transformation and Change in Attitude Key to all psychologies. The linkage of the Self and the transcendent function is explored in chapter 3. respectively. particularly Jungian psychology. introverts and extroverts. is the core of the transcendent function. is transformation in attitude. She maps out the brain by identifying the left (or logical and sequential) and right (or analogical and intuitive) hemispheres and argues that the two principal states of consciousness. arguing that the transcendent function is vitally linked to the deintegration of the Self as described by Fordham (p. and that which facilitates the transition from one psychic
. Typology Part of Jung’s thinking about the opposites and the transcendent function had to do with his work on personality typology. Indeed. 289). 1939/1959.” states of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Jung. and daydreaming. e. much of Jung’s thinking on the transcendent function was formulated in his work with the fundamental opposites. pp. 252. 33). That. 73). Hillman in the Editor’s Preface of the 1916 version of “The Transcendent Function”) have suggested that once Jung fully developed his concept of the Self. Ross (1986) sought to locate the transcendent function and the Jungian typologies in the physical brain. 65). the psychosomatic integrate that contains the potential of the organism” (p. She locates the transcendent function in the connection between the hemispheres and ﬁnds its existence in the hemispheric equilibrium existent in “hybrid states. In a fascinating paper. correspond roughly with the left and right hemispheres. 421). conversing with it. He felt that a person’s inferior function was pushed into the unconscious and that the transcendent function is essential to locating it. 480. 26. waking and sleeping. in Psychological Types (1921/1971). Indeed. 1989b. Jung refers again to the transcendent function as that which makes transition from one attitude to another possible (1921/1971.. 1957. she gives a hypothesis for overlaying the physical structure of the brain with the four Jungian typologies. Finally. such as mystical states. In other writings.

Ryce-Menuhin (1992) states it more dramatically by comparing the transcendent function to the experimental showing of the preference of a male grayling butterﬂy. 1966. Joseph (1997) calls the transcendent function the “process of bringing conscious and unconscious together for the sake of a renewal of attitude. 397). At least a few authors have imagined that Jung’s VII Sermons Ad Mortuos (Seven Sermons to the Dead). and scholarship on the part of a number of writers.Appendix c
193
condition to another (1939/1958. which naturally is drawn to females of darker hue. 489). The ideas of psychic change and transformation are central to and inexorably tied to the transcendent function. his anonymously authored work written in the same year as “The Transcendent Function. 139) and says that it “involves at its core a letting go of ﬁxed structures and identities” (p. 126). on the other hand. it “goes beyond dialectics into conscious dialogue by introducing creativity. its origins have been the subject of speculation. Hubback. to choose a female that is artiﬁcially stained a darker color than anything known in nature: “This inclination to reach after and beyond nature is comparable to the transcendent function as it brings forward the unconscious. Corbett (1992). here I will summarize the main contributions. he even calls it the “transformation of personality” (1928/1953.
ORIGINS OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION Because of the importance of the transcendent function in Jung’s metapsychology. 1992). 395) and states that the “inexorable impulse for change familiar to all therapists marks the appearance of the transcendent function” (p. Though a full exploration of the origins of the transcendent function is beyond the scope of this book. Sandner. Salman (1992). Ulanov (1996) notes that the “transcendent function inaugurates transition to arrival of the new” (p.
. a transformation of psychical organization” (p. 1992. calls it “the capacity of the psyche to change and grow toward individuation” (p. unrealized yearnings of human beings” (p. Solomon (1992) points out the strong similarity between the transcendent function and Hegel’s dialectic vision: the emergence of the third from the dialogue between the conscious and unconscious bears a striking resemblance to the emergence of the synthesis from the interplay of thesis and antithesis. pointing out that though the transcendent function has a “dialectical motion.” creating an “alchemical ferment which transforms the dialectic process” (p. 410).” it is a much more psychological and transformative process. investigation. 150). for example. takes issue with Solomon. Other writers also comment on the theme of psychic change. suffering and ethical integrity into the interaction of opposites. 220). p. 143).” may contain “mythic preﬁgurations” of Jung’s theory of the opposites and their reconciliation through the transcendent function (Beebe. p.

109). 36). p. Jung sought a “relationship with the complexes themselves” (p. Ulanov (1997) offers fascinating connections between transference. She argues that transference ushers in the transcendent function which in turn produces transcendence (pp. 60).. Beebe asserts that instead of ﬁnding a way to explain them. In contrast.e. the transcendent function. She cites Jung’s being out of step with others. Byington (1992) states that through expressive techniques (he was writing about dramatic reenactment using marionettes) the
. the “familiar” and the “foreign. He states that the analyst “mediates the transcendent function for the patient. In “The Transcendent Function” (1957/1960).194
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
Beebe (1992) posits that the transcendent function was an inevitable development in Jung’s personal psychology. 118). 153). 74). the higher morality of the unconscious and the need to dialogue with it). Agnel (1992) posits that the analyst must strive to maintain both “poles” of the transference relationship.. Nagy (1992) suggests that cultural and historical factors contributed to Jung’s need to ﬁnd a “higher level of moral authority” (p.” to facilitate the transcendent function (p. i. family. heroic stance. helps him to bring conscious and unconscious together and so arrive at a new attitude” (p. 125–26). 294–96). once Jung accepted the reality and autonomy of the complexes. Joseph (1997) expresses it somewhat differently by noting that the transcendent function involves the analyst carrying “unrealized potentials for psychological transformation” (p. and cultural forces at work in Jung’s life. Dehing (1992) follows a similar line arguing that the transcendent function was Jung’s “attempt at self-healing” from his own “severe breakdown” (p. 118) that led him inescapably to dialogue with the unconscious and to ﬁnding a bridge across the “yawning ravine” between the ego and the unconscious (p.
ROLE OF THE ANALYST An important subset of literature addresses the role of the analyst in working with the transcendent function. they “were sure to assert themselves as unruly guests” (p. and his inability to believe in the religion taught by his father (pp. 1992. Samuels (1985) cites the views of two psychoanalysts who saw the transcendent function as “an expression of Jung’s denial of the conﬂicts in life and his unconscious search for symbiotic reunion or merger with an idyllic object” (p. and transcendence. his counter-cultural.e. 294) implicit in the concept of the transcendent function (i. Jung devotes a section to the relationship between the analyst and the analysand and talks about transference. 21). 117) in Jung’s own life. Dehing (1992) and Sandner (1992) theorize that transference is a striking example of the transcendent function operating in the analytic relationship “in which the analyst takes one pole of the oppositorum and the analysand takes the other” (Sandner. Others have noted the personal.

But completion is also sought within relationships. the transcendent function was seen to manifest itself only as psyche’s symbol-making capacity. affects.e. Corbett states that the transcendent function operates as much through the analytic relationship as it does intrapsychically: Traditionally. Corbett offers the perspective that the analytic relationship. intrapsychic change of attitude through the spontaneous emergence of symbol that unites the opposites in consciousness and the unconscious) is too narrow. She posits that the “work between the patient and analyst is a complex process of interpersonal and intrapsychic communication” (p. The search for wholeness was assumed to proceed more intrapsychically than interpersonally. when necessary.. interpretive participant. and in such cases is mediated no less by the transcendent function than is the symbol. Such unfolding represents the action of the transcendent function. A valuable perspective is offered by Corbett (1992) who argues that the classical Jungian view of the transcendent function (i. 405). not through the analyst so as to “diminish the identiﬁcation of the analyst with the transcendent function” (p. by allowing oneself to be used—in a symbolic sense—as a responsive and. 30). In this way. (p. 400) Essentially. become the symbol through which the transcendent function and change of attitude are effected. This is an important viewpoint because it offers us insight into the commonality between Jungian and psychoanalytic views. S. She argues that it is the analyst’s capacity to tolerate her own painful experiences. Hence in the classical Jungian literature the relationship between analyst and analysand was seen as of secondary importance to the elucidation of symbolic material. 399) Corbett proceeds to cite the mirroring. Similar to the tone of Ulanov’s work. and unconscious contents that contains and models the patient’s ability to develop that capacity:
. idealizing. the analytic relationship mediates the guidance of the Self and is used as a symbol to repair the selfobject deﬁcits: The role of the analyst therefore is to mediate the demands of the Self as they unfold into selfobject needs.Appendix c
195
analysand can experience “symbolic elaboration” directly. and the transference within it. (p. and twinship selfobject needs of the developing child postulated by Kohut and relates how those needs are reactivated and healed in the transference. Powell (1985) offers another fascinating dimension to the role of the analyst and the relationship between the analyst and analysand.

a transsexual. Schellenbaum (1992) offers his thoughts about the particular application and use of the transcendent function in working with groups and couples. Barz (1992) and Strahan (1992). the former focusing on sand play and the latter on child analysis. between art and the transcendent function. . . a bridge to understanding can be built and creative development can take place in the patient and. Kiepenheuer (1992) writes about the use of sand play to evoke the transcendent function. and
. in the analyst. Bovensiepen (1992) and Kiepenheuer (1992) both write about the use of the transcendent function to access somatized unconscious material.
CLINICAL ASPECTS AND APPLICATIONS A variety of works address the manifestation or effective use of the transcendent function in clinical work. Ulanov (1992) gives a clinical presentation about how she used the transcendent function to help a patient break through his profound obsession with perversion. Rosati (1992) makes the important connection between art in therapy and symbolism and. which allows her own unconscious to link with consciousness and so to make a bridge of understanding. Affeld-Niemeyer (1992). writes about the use of the transcendent function in treating victims of incest. Several writers have focused on the importance of the transcendent function in working with particular populations or modalities. for example. Other writers have focused on the transcendent function in conjunction with the treatment of speciﬁc disorders. for example. her capacity to comprehend her own internal processes in relation to the patient. 30) Corbett and Powell give us hints about the current thinking regarding the role of the analyst and the analytic relationship in fostering or containing the transcendent function. Some are focused on the use of various expressive techniques to access unconscious material. Ryce-Menuhin (1992) and Rosetti-Gsell (1992) both write about the signiﬁcance of the transcendent function in play therapy with children.” as she experiences it within herself. write about the appearance of the transcendent function through the use of psychodrama. . indeed. (p. [I]t is the analyst’s transcendent function. Ledermann (1992) explores the transcendent function in the treatment of narcissistic disorders. Byington (1992) shows how the transcendent function is at work bringing unconscious material to consciousness through the clinical use of marionettes with patients. Roloff (1992) offers reﬂections about the signiﬁcance of the transcendent function in the analysis of a child.196
Th e T r a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
Through the analyst’s capacity to make sense of the “other. Urban (1992) documents her experience with assisting a deaf girl to develop language skills through the use of the transcendent function. thus.

Further. Moore (1975) discusses the way the transcendent function operates in patients with egos that are not fully formed or that are impaired by some disorder and offers a developmental model of the transcendent function in various stages of ego formation. 166). 365–66). as Jung alleged. for example. Zabriskie (1992) takes issue with Stewart. 77). Stewart (1992). Walcott (1992) sees the racial tensions embodied in the Rodney King riots as resulting from the splitting off by the Caucasian community of the enslaved. 356). Samuels (1992). he suggests that just as the analyst explores personal. family. personal. Finally. . citizens in a democracy). He argues that Jung’s rejection of the Freudian technique was based on Jung’s limited. not one that takes place between and among conscious egos as it does in the political world (p. POLITICAL. “when used correctly. inferior. draws parallels between democracy as a political system and the transcendent function. free association is an avenue which leads towards the production of that ‘tension of opposites’ which Jung felt to be the central aspect of the transcendent function. . for example. and of analysis” (p. Similarly. 59).Appendix c
197
sexually regressed adult. Rhi (1992) compares the transcendent
. but rather involves the “continual formation of new experience . talks of building a “bridge between depth psychology and politics” (p. Charlton argues. Charlton (1986) offers a historical and clinical comparison between the transcendent function and free association. 354) through the clinical setting. and alien and argues for the necessity of incorporating that unconscious material (pp. arguing that Jung’s formulation was an intrapsychic phenomenon.
CULTURAL. compares and contrasts the transcendent function as reﬂected in ego-oriented Western cultures and Self-oriented Eastern cultures. 166–67). looking at what is alive within the psyche at the present moment” (pp. “political development” is also an important subject for analytic investigation (p. Takeuchi (1992). of individuation. Several writers have also sought to provide a cross-cultural perspective to the transcendent function. he argues that free association is not a “totally reductive experience” (p. Moreover. democracy is a “sociopolitical . and society. 166). projection” (p. and moral development with a patient. . He posits that since the transcendent function and democracy are both based on a dialogue between coequal entities (the conscious and unconscious in the transcendent function. . 65) of the transcendent function and the “psychic origins of democracy are to be found in the transcendent function” (p. Similarly. politics. AND SOCIETAL CONTEXTS Several writers have explored the transcendent function as a phenomenon of culture. emotional. though not making speciﬁc reference to the transcendent function. and negative experiences with it before it was fully developed as an analytic method. N.

128). and individuation. it is the fundamental question of all religions and all philosophies.
RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL MATTERS Though Jung (1957/1960) denies any metaphysical dimensions to the transcendent function.198
T h e Tr a n s c e n d e n t F u n c t i o n
function to transcendence in Confucian teachings. who ﬁnds the transcendent function reﬂected in the central African myth of Eshu-Elegba. 215). Ulanov (1996). Ulanov compares what emerges from the transcendent function as “the voice of God” (1992. A different cultural perspective is offered by Kujawski (1992). 391). Solomon (1992) also suggests that Jung may have been in denial about the spiritual implications of the transcendent function and that it may very well have represented a connection between “the self and an Other” (p. p. 99) and connects it directly to the transcendent function. 156). Elsewhere. he posits that aesthetic experience is an example of the transcendent function. M. the Yoruba trickster god who weaves webs of misrepresentations through which transformations and new syntheses take place. in his discussion about the connections between the transcendent function. saying that it is “the transformation of psychic energy from the undifferentiated biological form to the cultural-spiritual form of esthetic activity” (p. 194). Finally. 83). Thus. synchronicity. two writers have commented on the way in which the transcendent function both fosters and is reﬂected in aesthetic experience. believes that Jung was wrong to deny the spiritual implications of the transcendent function. it is the Unknown as it immediately affects us” (1957/1960. in the prefatory note of his central paper on the transcendent function. p. its very name and nature seem to attract connections to religious and spiritual matters. P. Handel (1992). For the unconscious is not this thing or that. “it is precisely through the workings of the transcendent function that we receive evidence of the Transcendent” (p. Young-Eisendrath (1992) urges a “new emphasis on the transcendent function in Jungian discourse about the Unknown” (p. positing that healers in the Zulu culture are called to their vocations in what she sees as analogous to the transcendent function. draws parallels between religious systems and psychological systems (p. Finally. 68). Rosati (1992) emphasizes that “the symbolic function is the fundamental function of art” (p. several authors have drawn connections between the transcendent function and matters pertaining to religion and spirituality. for example.
. Indeed. She states ﬂatly. Jung himself responds to his own question of how to come to terms in practice with the unconscious: “Indirectly. Real (1992) gives anecdotal examples of how artists and writers consider the product of their efforts not their own but a “voice” (p. Johnson (1992) also offers an African perspective. 84) that emerges from dialogue with their work.

Jung came to believe that parts of Freud’s conception of psyche were incorrect. but he believes. “Ego” refers to the central core of conscious psychic activity. particularly about the autonomous and archetypal nature of the unconscious. Jung and Freud had a falling out. borrowed from the anthropologist Lévy-Brühl. not the least of which were Freud’s emphasis on the primacy of sexuality and erotic urges and his view that the unconscious was primarily a receptacle of repressed.
199
. 5. The book assumes a basic knowledge of psychology but will provide deﬁnitions where appropriate. For the present. Sufﬁce it to say that after years of being closely associated both personally and professionally. Jung broke with Freud in 1912 with his publication Symbols of Transformation. archetypal phenomenon is used her to mean something that psyche does instinctually. The book will not delve deeply into this event. transpersonal Self as distinguished from other uses of the word. among other things. left him isolated professionally and disoriented psychologically. Archetypes are a key concept and will be explored in greater depth later. DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION ESSAY
1. whenever it refers to the Jungian. leading in part to the turmoil described here. though essential to Jung and the development of his psychology. as it is by many Jungian writers. archetypal psychology’s chief architect.
CHAPTER TWO. that the images of the unconscious are more numerous and varied and that they need not be analyzed but rather only experienced. 3. 4. unacceptable contents from the conscious. Here the term is used to describe the stage of development when humans considered themselves to be one with nature. The break. certainly agrees with many of Jung’s core ideas. Self is capitalized herein throughout. This term. INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION
1.NOTES
CHAPTER ONE. 2. Hillman. is used to refer to a relationship in which the subject cannot distinguish himself from the thing.

7. This is the second mention of the idea of a rhythmic shifting of consciousness. Corbett. pp. 103). one on March 30. 85) is lost. 1985. pp. Jung reasons. 1955 (1973c. Since these qualities have been crucial in adapting to the needs of the modern age. acquired relatively late in human history (p. 1925 (1989b. pp. 1939 (1973a. a seminar on dream analysis
. 70). 1954 (1973b. and Individuation” (1939/1959). “it is therefore understandable. 1954 (1955. Dehing (1992) calls what Jung went through a “severe crisis” (p. 4. Zarine in May. and that it and “ignores the concurrent mutual support. to Père Lachat in March. technology.” This change is interesting given Jung’s work during the period of his writing of the 1916 version around the development of the archetypes and the collective unconscious. 163–74) and to Professor E. 2.200
Notes to Chapter Three
2. pp. To M. 3. 679–91). when he indicated that the “ideal case would be if these two aspects could . Symbols of Transformation (1952/1956).
CHAPTER THREE. Unconscious. temporarily overwhelming him” (p. complemantarity. p.e. to Father Victor White in April. TRACING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION THROUGH JUNG’S WORKS
1. that it mischaracterizes the multiplicity of psychic life. He explains how deﬁniteness and directedness. 6. 5. 282–84). Mysterium Coniunctionis (1955–1956/1963). Böhler in December. have been instrumental in the development of science. that in each individual the psychic process should be as stable and deﬁnite as possible. since the exigencies of life demand it “ (p. 113–15. 20). Two seminars on analytical psychology. The pitfall of creative formulation is overvaluing the artistic worth of unconscious material and missing its meaning. incremental gradations of change and subtle transitions found within the psyche” (Corbett.. and even necessary. p. Samuels. 26–34). 86). the ﬁrst was in Jung’s discussion of the two ways to formulate the unconscious contents (i. 3. the danger of the way of understanding is overintellectualizing the material so that its “essentially symbolic character” (p. 1992. 9–14) and a second on April 13. “A Psychological View of Conscience” (1958/1964). the way of creative formulation and the way of understanding). 1925 (1989a. and civilization. pp. Sandner (1992) refers to that as a period during which “a torrent of unconscious material came ﬂooding in. 33). Some (e. Agnel (1992) ﬂatly labels what Jung experienced a “breakdown” (p. pp. p. Each of the tendencies by itself has a danger according to Jung. 395). The 1916 version referred to “all behavior traces of the human spirit. 1992. “Conscious. rhythmically succeed each other” (1957/1960. .. “Psychological Commentary on The Tibetan Book of Great Liberation (1939/1958).” whereas the 1958 version was revised to “all the behaviour traces constituting the structure of the human mind. pp. . 395) have suggested that Jung’s concept of opposites is too restrictive. 267–69).g. 69).

Notes to Chapter Three
201
on June 4. 1991. 38. man. According to Jung realism. pp. 15. Jung also has an extensive deﬁnition of “symbol” (1921/1971. Here it is used to refer to an image that carries or implies a “description or formulation of a relatively unknown fact. one on June 3. 427) and so cannot be objectively measured. nominalism. The two conditions are opposed to each other and can never be made one” ( Jung. and two seminars on Nietzsche’s Zarathustra. 474). 8. 1943/1953. a third position that combines the positive aspects of both. For example. 7. p. pp. 11. 5) and makes references to the “counter-position” in the unconscious (pp. 7. 1989. 26. 16). an object. 427–33). 54). goodness. 21) and the “counter-action” of the unconscious (pp. between passivity and activity. the shift in consciousness created by the discoveries of Copernicus that the Earth is not the ﬁxed center of the universe planted the seeds for Cartesian duality (Tarnas. a spectator. 473–81). which is none the less known to exist or is postulated as existing” (p. it is a common Jungian convention. 416). Singer (1983). or other sensory perceptions that “has no objective referent” (p. p. is inﬁnite. 637–53). 26. 171). between sensation and thought. and that the opposition of thesis and antithesis leads to a synthesis. pp. etc. The synthesis of one stage of the dialectic can then serve as the thesis for a new dialectical movement. and the two cannot conceivably be reconciled. Honderich (1995). 8. pp. for example. 103). 1230–47). p. 1921/1971. animal. Note that though Jung did not capitalize the word self. 4. pp. to capitalize it to differentiate Jung’s
. one used by this book. goes back to Plato’s universals (1921/1971. 12. which asserts that universals are nothing but names and assigns primacy to nature and phenomena. 1943/1953. as against a world that becomes a spectacle. was advanced by the Cynics and Megarians in opposition to Plato’s ideas (1921/1971. 1938 (1988b. p. and R. p. Jung alludes to the idea that “the unconscious behaves in a compensatory or complementary manner towards the conscious” (1957. 5. 965–82) and a second on May 11. pp. p. 9. 42). p. pp. the term is used herein to mean a complex of ideas. Also. 1930 (1984. which places primacy on the abstract idea and posits that universal concepts (like beauty. 1936 (1988a. 10. Jung has an extensive deﬁnition of “fantasy” (1921/1971. Hegel’s dialectic is the idea that in every position (thesis) lies the seeds of its own destruction in the form of an internal contradiction (antithesis). As Hillman states: “Polytheistic mythical thinking seems quite nonchalant about binary oppositions” (1975. 54). Norman (1976). See. Schiller says: “The distance between matter and form. Hegel’s philosophy has been the subject of extensive review and comment. 14. images. 6.) exist before any physical reality. 38. Generally. the development of linear perspective where the world is seen from the vantage point of a self that “becomes an observing subject. of vision” created the imaginal foundation for the Cartesian philosophical foundation of a subjective self separated from the objective world (Romanyshyn.

This theme will be revisited in the last chapter in the section called “The Germination of the Alchemical Fourth. 14. p. Winnicott felt that “all . preconscious. . 539). The kind of action or activity proper to a person. 491. See 1957/1960. which he identiﬁed as mental health” (p. 1939/1958. therefore. 1996). the structural model held that inner conﬂicts were not simply between conscious/unconscious but between structural parts that had different goals. Elsewhere. 1996. 3. 156). See previous footnote. “A relation between two sets . however. 149). it will do so without capitalizing. 1952/1956. 1994. 68. Here the word self is used in the non-Jungian sense and. 19. p.202
Notes to Chapter Five
transpersonal Self from other uses of the word. THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AND THE THEORIES OF OTHERS
1. 433. p. p. The topographical model demarcated psychic life into spatially separated systems (conscious. not capitalized. and unconscious). p. 16.
CHAPTER FOUR. In contrast. 1973a. p.”
CHAPTER FIVE. Hillman. 13. THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION AS THE CORE OF JUNG’S WORK
1. . Jung questioned the strength/clarity of dream images: “As a rule dreams are too feeble and unintelligible to exercise a radical inﬂuence on consciousness” (1943/1953. . .
. 15. adult creativity. as the expression y=x2 . 268). 18. are transitional phenomena and that this intermediate area of experience must continue into adult life for creative and cultural living. Here Jung refers to experience of the archetypal image. 110). 2.. In his view. thing or institution. it would be overwhelming. e. In this interesting and profoundly useful piece. p. 17. . as in the function of the unconscious” (Random House Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 488. Jung for the ﬁrst time gives an organized exposition of the concepts he had been working with for the ﬁrst few decades of his work. When the book quotes Jung. . The archetypal psychologist might even call this a visitation by a person’s daimon to effect change in line with one’s destiny (see. adult psychopathology ﬂows from not “good enough” mothering that arrests the movement from absolute dependency to independence (Summer. Jungians hold that one cannot have a direct experience or contact with the archetype. as well as aesthetic experience.g.

then whatever I do seems to be full of healing. 8. 2. object that is experienced as fulﬁlling selfobject functions. 24). 5. Kohut’s selfobject is a transitional ground between self/other. 9. 234). pp. however. transpersonal Self. The brain has “two separate. and not only to professional practitioners of modern therapeutics” (p. learning and memory functions” (Ross. on the other. “original self. while the ego is largely associated with the conscious. me/not-me. . THE DEEPER ROOTS OF THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION
1. on the one hand. 11. The analytic ﬁeld is a transitional or mediatory space between the subjectivities and objectivities of the patient and analyst. Corbett (1989) described the Kohutian self as “a permanent mental structure consisting of feelings. between unity and fragmentation. hemispheric minds . 267). 12. 73–136 for a fuller discussion. Then simply my presence is releasing and helpful” (Rogers. 6. when I am somehow in touch with the unknown in me. 1986.g. Corbett (1989) described it as the “a priori ordering. referring to the Jungian. He also sometimes uses the synonymous term. Neither alone constitutes a substantive basis for the development of a strong and vital self ” (Bacal. and behaviors that are subjectively experienced as being continuous in time and as being ‘me’” (p. “The ‘selfobject experience’ depends partly on the capacity for illusion and partly on the . and the conventions of the superego and reality. 24). 1975. intuitive self. Hillman (1983) calls his psychology “archetypal. 10. p. xvi). “‘Soul’ refers to the deepening of events into experiences . Winnicott’s transitional object mediates between inner/outer. . . image and fantasy–that mode which recognizes all realities as primarily symbolic and metaphorical” (Hillman. Klein’s depressive position represents a uniﬁcation of good and bad. it also has parts that reside in the preconscious and unconscious. 7. . structure-giving principle within the psyche” (p. 1994. 9). with independent perceptual. . all forms of human activity. dream. The structural theory holds that. 198).. “I ﬁnd that when I am closest to my inner. when perhaps I am in a slightly altered state of consciousness in the relationship. See. Summers. fantasy/reality. .” in contrast to Jung’s “analytical” psychology.
CHAPTER SIX. inner/outer. e. to emphasize that “‘archetypal’ belongs to all culture. 1989.
.” Note that Fordham. Freud’s ego mediates between the opposite demands of the drives and fantasies of the id. perceptual realm of existence. the experiencing through reﬂective speculation. does not capitalize the “s” in Self. following Jung’s practice. He is. the imaginative possibility in our natures. p. p. memories.Notes to Chapter Six
203
4. Fordham’s deintegration-reintegration cycle mediates between self and not-self. p. 1986.

for example. resists knowledge claims. . p. 126). the instinctual fantasies of the id. VIVIFYING THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE
1. and Ulanov says it is “the arrival of the new . Fordham’s deintegration-reintegration cycle describes the interplay between subject (self ) and object (other) in a cycle of merger and differentiation. p. between affect and memory. classify. Savitz calls it “a bridge to help cross the abyss between affects. 27) and that which is in the realm of Hades as hidden. Hades denotes the god of the underworld and the underworld itself. obscures all versions of truth. Corbett calls it “the capacity of the psyche to change and grow toward individuation” (1992. deep. 65). between analyst and patient” (1990. Freud’s ego mediates between the subjective level of the ego/me and what is experienced as objective or foreign. 2. 105). p. between self and ego. 4. postmodernists “register the impossibility of establishing any such underpinning for knowledge” (p. p. imaginary and real” (1992. 153). 243). God of invisibles” (p. Agnel identiﬁes its role as assembling “within a more complex whole elements that are rational and irrational. 315). 398). or interpret information. 395). refutes methodological conventions. a third point of view that includes and surpasses the former conﬂicting ones” (1997. interior. Instead of trying to reduce. p. and dismisses policy recommendations” (Rosenau. p. The analytic ﬁeld is based in the idea of the merging of the psychic ﬁelds of the subject and object (analyst and analysand). 6) and focus the totality of what is written and talked about on a particular topic to invite conversation or dialogue. p. postmodernism is a philosophy that “rejects epistemological assumptions. Though difﬁcult to exactly deﬁne. 4.
CHAPTER SEVEN. refers to the transcendent function as “a capacity to move back and forth between layers of meaning” and analogizes it to Winnicott’s “potential space” (1992. 5. p. Klein’s depressive position shows what occurs psychically when the subject fully apprehends that the object (mother) is separate. p. Young-Eisendrath. p. 3).204
Notes to Chapter Seven
3. 1992. Hillman (1979) describes Hades as “the God of depth. Kohut’s concept of selfobject is essentially an intrasubjective manifestation of the object. . Kujawski describes it as “the mysterious capacity of the human soul for change” (1992. 3. Corbett says that the aim of the transcendent function is to “restore our sense of cohesiveness” from the “fragmented condition of everyday consciousness” (1992. Williams says its purpose is to induce a meeting between the “opposing but complementary realities” of the “reality of the known world” and the “images springing up from the archetypes of the collective unconscious” (1983. 398) and that the
. Corbett says that the “movement from the unconscious into consciousness means a movement from undifferentiation into plurality” (1992. Winnicott’s transitional object/transitional phenomena explain how subject and object are psychologically separated in the infant.

Whether his theories represent the beginning or a mere expression of an underlying dualistic way of thinking. the metaphorical ﬁeld. 5. 6. I say extension of Jung’s ideas here because. Horne calls the transcendent function “the manifestation of the coherence and unity which is the ground of all matter” (1998. can contain and allow the transformation of virtually any combination of forces in our world. The so-called Cartesian split both underlies the scientiﬁc and technological revolution and creates serious limitations and drawbacks in the way humans think and experience. that there was a fundamental rift between mind and matter. although the alchemical coniunctio was a central thesis in Jung’s thinking. he focused on the union of opposites or of conscious/unconscious. Descartes’ cogito clearly enunciated the theory that there was a subjective human self that was separate and apart from the objective world outside. 398).Notes to Chapter Seven
205
purpose of the transcendent function is to “restore an original totality” (p. as the alchemical vessel. 31). p.
. In the framework I am offering here. that subject and object were split.